Freedom in Christ

Hello dear friends!  Big waves, and bigger hugs!  ✋😘

WELCOME!!!

I'm glad you're here, and I hope you'll hang out for a bit.  If you peruse the Sweet n Sassy Stamps and Creative Worship blogs for a while, you'll find a plethora (yes, I DID use that word 🤣) of pages for inspiration; but, you'll also find heart and transparency in the ladies here.  

We look forward to ministering to you this way!

Today, I'm working on a page that means a whole bunch to me.  It has done so for the last few months.  

I used this section of the Word, here in Romans, to prepare for the retreat in Savannah, Georgia back in April, and as I engaged with the meaning behind chapter 8 vv. 14-16, God spoke volumes to me.  When He does that, it's hard not to listen.  It's even hard to do a page and just move on.  It's hard to push on to other things when the Holy Spirit meets you, louder and more obvious than ever.  

Yeah, it was THAT loud.

When speaking about our freedoms in Christ, a lot of times we issue the idea to the shackles we wear:

Fear.

Anxiety.

Depression.

Anger.

Addiction.

Guilt.

And while these are ALL things that the Holy Spirit has wonderfully disentangled us from, I have found it difficult at times to remain "free;" as free as Christ paid to make me.  I forget something incredibly important as I struggle to abide in His love and grace, rather than the yoke of bondage that once held me captive: I am His daughter.  I am a daughter of God.  A child, precious in His sight and delicate in His arms.

Romans 8:14-16 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; rather you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father! The Spirit itself testifies with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

There are so many truth bombs of this passage; even more so are the alternate scriptures provided in the Word of God to lift up, confirm and bolster this very idea: IF IN CHRIST, WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES, but CHILDREN!

So what I'm going to do is just put in front of you some good ol' hearty "take-home" love from the Father Himself, straight from His mouth, directly from His heart.  Are you ready?  Here we go…

Firstly, what does it mean to be a child of God?

Adopted:

• Gal. 3:26 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
• John 1:12-13 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
• Gal. 4:5-6 “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
• Eph. 1:4-5 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”
• Rom. 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Born of/Led by the Spirit:

• John 3:3,6 ‘Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God...That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”’
• 1 John 5:1,4 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him...For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
• Rom. 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Heirs:

• Gal. 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
• Gal. 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
• Eph. 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Whew!  

Now, what does it look like to be a child of God?  (These are some of my most favorite of passages.)

Not a Slave:

• Gal. 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
• 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

Confident Assurance:

• Eph. 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
• 1 Peter 1:4-5 “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
• 2 Cor. 1:22 “and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
• Heb. 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  LOVE THIS!

Not alone:

• Heb. 2:17-18 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
• Heb. 13:5-6 ‘he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”’

I realize, this is a lot.  That's why it's in a blogpost, but I do want to share with you that were it not for the powerful truths we find in scripture, and MORE THAN ENOUGH scripture to back up scriptural truths, it may be hard for some to take seriously what God says about them.  As children, what GOD says about us is most important; most blessed; most needed; most effective; most productive, and if you read these beautiful statements from your Daddy, He has promised they will make their mark in your life and return to Him having done a work in you!!

This is huge!  This is power!  We who are in our Savior, the Christ, are free to be children of the One true God.  The only Begotten of the Father has granted us complete assurance and access to Him who sits on the mighty throne of heaven!

Such love! Such grace!  So amazing!

Much love,

Deeds

If you're interested in nabbing some of these beautiful stamps, visit my affiliate link here, and please please tag me if you do a journaling entry in Romans 8, or anywhere else you find to claim your freedoms!!  I would love to see how the Lord spoke to you! 

IG: @mercies_journaled

FB: Deirdre Cason

Stamps used are "Freedom in Christ," and "Texture Tiles 2."
I love them both!!

LLama Tell You How Much...

Hey Guys!

Excited about this entry today!  The August release is so much fun, and I'm enjoying the different ways the team's been putting this Llama set together!  So many ideas, and so much inspiration!

 Today I'm in Psalm 103, journaling over the magnitude of God's love for the whole world! 

There's no placing limitations on God when it comes to His love for you.  Pretty simple! 

The inspired writers tried their best to detail this, attempting vernacular that would make sense to their readers.  I can't understand infinity, can you?  I can't understand limitless, uninhibited, matchless or unsearchable grace.  I can only fathom what this love is… in it's totality, it is God's.  God is limitless, uninhibited, matchless and unsearchable. 
 

Here in the Psalms we read,
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion on His children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."  (vv. 11-14)

I used "Chunky Lower Case Alpha," "Llama Love,"
& "Texture Tile 1" Stamp Sets

WOW!  Do you see what I'm saying?  I just can't begin to put labels on a unit I don't understand.  I can understand "radius."  I can understand, "miles," "inches," or "kilometers."  I can even understand negative temps, depths, and other such measurements, but I cannot even… I just can't!  His love is too great; His compassion is too much!

I used Distress Ink Oxides to achieve the background.

This brings me to that sweet, softened area of "pasture" that I read and hear about so often.  The mild, smooth, and peaceful place the good Lord brings His sheep (or Llamas, as it were ;) ).  A settled place.  A nestling place.  A place of calm, collected, and protected. 

God loves me so much.  He loves YOU so much.  His unbounded heart is like that of a Father, holding His beloved children (as llama-ish as they may be), using His compassion to see us as we are. 

Fickle. 

Feeble. 

Finicky. 

Unsteady. 

Unfaithful. 

Unsure. 

So here we are; loved beyond all reason, and the biggest way that God EVER showed His absolute and perfect love is on the cross.  The cross of Christ, His beloved Son. 

Simple colored pencil shading for the mountain & llamas stamps.

Someone who offers Himself, weakens Himself, humbles Himself on our behalf, is one who truly loves indeed.  No one - NO ONE - can deny this amazing love. 

"Llama tell you how much God loves you…"  Well, at least let me try.

He loves you perfectly.

He loves you without limits.

He loves you for your sake.

He loves you for His name.

He loves you yesterday, today, and forever.

He loves you beyond measure.

He loves you far above your thoughts, words, and actions.

He loves you as a treasure, though we are dust.

He loves you as a child, though we are wayward.

He loves you so, so much.

Much love,

Deeds

Get Ready!

"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2

Printables like ones used here are so versatile.  I find that using the "Go With God" printable and stamp sets are a great way to record the meaning of God's plan and our purpose.
After reading the devotion written by Diane Noble, my mind got to thinking about other ways that God is calling me after Himself.  I mean, REALLY calling.  He's practically yelling at me, and my soul knows it!

Before I did anything on this page, I prepped - twice.
See, lately I've been intrigued by the simplicity of Crayola Markers.  I bought some for my kids so they could play ALL day this summer if they wanted to.  They love creating.  One night I sat down with my 5yr old and we toyed around with stencils, markers and stickers.  I'm not sure who of you has found the fun in using these markers in your bibles, but if you haven't tried it yet, you should!  Just page prep.  :)  Their ink is rather heavy AND permanent.  They deliver quite the color; bold, daring and bright! Additionally - SO MUCH LOVES the Sunshine Girl Alpha!

I simply swiped across certain areas of the page with 3 different colors.  When that dried, I took the lovely "Texture Tile 3" stamp set and  stamped within the applied color.  I loved it! It gave such great dimension!  This is the easiest type of page to make.  Not too much hassle!  Markers, stamps, printables - DONE!

As 2 Timothy 4 spoke to me, I realized that I have a sin problem I haven't yet dealt with.  See, I have this idea that one day I will impact many with the Word of Christ!  I will go abroad and make more and better disciples for God!  I will even be a part in planting churches, establishing Christian-giving organizations and attempt to couple with Tim Tebow in ministering to 3rd world countries.  Yeah, high ambitions.  High goals.  And even if it's a high honor to win 100's of souls to Christ, God has placed me in a slightly different battle ground.  My home.  My home of 7.  The children He's blessed me with - all 5 of them, ranging from 14 years to 4 months.  

It's difficult to understand the "impact" I seek if I'm here in the humble abode, trying my best to be Christ-like 24/7.  But isn't that what it is?  To be like Christ all the day?  From sun-up to sun-down, aren't we called to be a witness to "reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching?"

The answer is "yes."  Yes, we are called to "be ready in and out of season."  I'm not saying that I will not still aspire to one day help plant churches, or serve as a missionary to other regions of the globe… but for right now, the Lord has me in a home-maker's ministry, serving in a mission field of small hearts and big dreams.  Each dinner.  Each laundry load.  Each eye infection, sore throat, and allergy.  Every lost tooth, bath-time, and holiday.  All present themselves as opportunities to preach the word and to preach it with fervency.
I consider myself in training for other missionary work in the future, but more so, I'm in the thick of ministry on behalf of the gospel of grace RIGHT NOW. 

My kids. 

My husband… and so I go. 

I go with God into this ministry - holding tightly to the hands of compassion of Him that so generously bled for my sins and rose for my victory!

I'm constantly having to re-commit myself to the Word of God as it is preached.  My sin problem is that I'm attempting to fill another's shoes, when the ones that the Lord has given me are a perfect fit.  I need to get ready and "be ready" for whatever comes!

My kids.

My husband… and so I go!

Go with God, friends.  To some, He calls out into the boonies of Africa and Guatemala!  To others, He calls into the battle grounds of intercity ministry, or even the inmates ministry!  To me - and others - He calls to serve my family and preach the gospel of grace - salvation in Christ alone - into my humble abode.  I praise the Lord for His kindness in teaching and lovingly guiding me in MY journey!

Much Love,

Deeds

IG: @mrcfuldeeds2010
Youtube: mrcfuldeeds
 

See the full July Release here.

Precious God

Hey guys, it's Deeds!  Welcome to Creative Worship!

I'm glad you stopped by to have a read today!  

I am really glad; and I'm hopeful. 

Lots going on lately on this blog feed.  Some good buzz, and some difficult. 
I know there has been attack after attack on my family for the past few months.  It's been crazy!  All attacks have come in pairs, threes, or even more, and on some days I feel completely lost; distraught; alone; depleted.
This is called reality.  "La vie" is episodes of ups and downs, yes?  

The journal entry you see here comes from a "downs" place; raw place;  a season in my life filled with all sorts of confusion and even despair. 
No, it's not the despair part that I'm interested in sharing with you.  Though there may be use in detailing what the Lord has brought us through as a family, what is far more important is the blessing and honor due His name.  Yes, and amen!!
Enter Psalm 139.
I've read this Psalm in completely different settings before this entry was made, and it was usually in a happy, flowing, comfortable state.  I praise the Lord that Psalm 139 is available to me even when - no, ESPECIALLY when - I'm struggling.  It's rich, and I mean totally LOADED.
There are a couple of verses that stood out to me this last go around.  Funny how scripture you read and hear thousands of times can hit you "just right" in any given moment; meet you just where you're at. 

Check it out…

"How precious Your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!  If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you."  (v. 17-18)

Two things:

1. God's thoughts are precious.  No matter what I'm doing, where I'm going, what I'm thinking, where I've been and how messy my life has become, God thinks tenderly toward this child.  God loves His daughter beyond a fathomable measure.  The word "precious," means "of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly."  God is not wasting His thoughts toward me; they are precious; they are valuable.  His thoughts toward me are characterized by His ability to restore, renew, and retain value.
2. These "thoughts" are also without number.  Do you remember when God took Abram (aka Abraham) outside His tent and told him to look up?  Abram was instructed to try to number the stars and if he could, he would have counted his descendants through his son.  Abram, of course, was unable to number the stars, therefore unable to number his promised legacy, and oh, the vast generations to follow! 
   More so, God's thoughts toward us are innumerable - WITHOUT NUMBER.  He never stops thinking about you.  Nor does He stop thinking about me!  How is this possible?  Well with man, it's totally impossible.  Our minds hinge on logic, and will only fully function on the appropriate amount of sleep.  GOD NEVER SLEEPS - THUS GOD IS ALWAYS THINKING.  I LOVE THAT!!!!

Who cares, right?  Well, I did.  I do!  My soul needs to know that the tender-loving Shepherd-King is thinking about His flock.  I desperately NEED to understand that my God is bigger than I think Him to be, and can do anything and everything He chooses.  And what He chooses is to think of me.  Not because I'm special, but like I said before, the glory and honor due is name is invaluable!  It's precious!  HE IS GOD!  His love for me turns around and glorifies Him.  He dotes on me, to glorify Himself.  To make Himself my treasure.
It's a weird mindset, and it doesn't permeate our culture all that much.  But, if God were not able to think constantly, love unfathomably, and pursue adamantly, God's glory and I would sink together. 

Think about Psalm 139 the next time you feel completely lost; distraught; alone; depleted.  The precious, uncountable thoughts toward you come from a God that is all-together precious!

Much love,

Deeds

IG: mrcfuldeeds2010
Youtube: mrcfuldeeds
 

Featured printables by Diane Noble of Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps: "Beach Blessings."

Find ALL of the June release and more Here!

Rest and Remember God

"And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, 

which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, 

you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'"  

Exodus 14:13-14

Hello, Sweet n Sassy Creatives!!
Journaling a bit in Exodus today.  I was surprised to find that I hadn't yet journaled on this page, or anywhere near it.  I better go back over it, yes? :D

Hmmm…"you have only to be silent."  At this moment in time, Moses is desperately trying to calm a nation who feels they're on the verge of utter annihilation.  The Eygyptians are closing in behind them, and they have nothing but a vast sea full of doubt in front!  They begin to cry out in agony over the impending capture - or slaughter - by Pharoah's army.  I cannot imagine the sound of torturous cries from millions of people; I cannot imagine what Moses must have thought as the forces of hysteria and panic moved in. 

Moses strains with resolve to be heard among the complaints, and with it pleas with the Israelites to continue to believe and be still!  I don't think Moses did what any kindergarten teacher would do in a room full of 30+ rowdy 5 year olds.  *finger to his lips* "Ok, people hush now.  Hush, please.  Ssshh, people of Israel.  Let's use our indoor voices; we don't need to worry about big, bad army." 

Nah. 

The context would suggest that his voice and righteous indignation had to be carried over a crowd of wailing and mourning.  "PEOPLE!  The Egyptians have nothing on our God!  Watch and see that He has already gone before you!  He will save us, so SHUT IT!" 

My thoughts for this journaling page were just to create something that looked like a body of water.  I used distress ink oxides to achieve the look of water and reflections, then used the "Texture Tile 2" stamp set to bring out some highlights in the water.  It helped to have the "Beach Blessings" printables, by our very own, Diane Noble - I had an enormous supply of water critters to choose from: starfish, shells, nets, birds, anchors, etc.  This time, the starfish at the bottom of the sea (which is where the Egyptian army ended up), were used.  I printed them on Avery sticker paper so they're see-through. 

After that, I created a tip down with one of the printable journaling cards from the set, with a simple sentiment: Rest, and remember God. 

Moses wasn't trying to cheer a nation of cry-babies up; he was reaffirming the confidence they once had in God Almighty to work in THIS situation, too.  God had proven His power among idolatrous Egypt.  He'd gone far beyond ANYTHING the "magicians" could do.  And He'd showed Himself worthy of praise and trust when He calmly ushered all millions of Hebrews out the city gates. 

Rest, and remember God.  I know I'm not alone in this; I know that I'm not the only one who has struggled to keep my cool when things heat up.  I know I'm in "good company" when I share that I've misplaced my trust in the One who has brought me out of my bondage to sin.  Let me tell you right now, God is not surprised by ANY SINGLE ONE of our hissy fits or lack-luster outbursts.  Unfortunately, however, it's the hard lessons that teach us, so if we have to go through a time of heartbreak and uncertainty, God will allow it if it means we get closer to Him.  And at first we may tantrum and complain, but when we realize that He's GOD ALMIGHTY, we'll see waters part and Egyptians drown right before our eyes. 

We can rest and remember that God has delivered and rescued us before - He plans on doing it again.  Both in the here and now, and for eternity future!

We can rest and remember that whatever God is working in our circumstances, there's much more going on in our heart - a greater growth and mutation for His glory is happening that really cannot be seen!  Praise His holy name!

We can rest and remember that though it seems the chaos swarms like angry hornets around us, God is preparing and shaping us for at Eternity of peace and harmony.  "We need only be silent."  We need only to wait.  We need only to trust. 

The Israelites learned some valuable lessons - besides humility - there at the Red Sea.  God does not operate by man's rules and expectations.  His love goes so far beyond what we can imagine and He will do everything in HIS power and in HIS will to show us His glory that we may praise and trust Him.  Oh, that I could trust Him more!

Much love,

Deeds

Close to God

Close To God

Hey guys!  Deeds here, just sharing a bit of my "creative worship" heart with you!
Also, have you SEEN the new release from Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps for the month of June??  It's so precious, especially since this month gives me the chance to work with the male version of May's release, "girl power." YIPPEE!🙌

Pictured: Brotherly Love, Outline Script Alpha,
& Texture Tile 2 Stamps.

"Brotherly Love" is quite versatile, as you've probably seen; the team has been posting on IG and Facebook.  So many things are available with this stamp set, and the others that came out June 1st!!  Today, I'm using "BrotherlyLove," "Texture Tile 2," & "Outline Script Alpha," from the June release, as well as "Skinny Caps Alpha," and the "Bitty Minnie Alpha," set from May.  

I stamped the distress inks onto a stamp block and spritzed
it with a bit of water to loosen up the pigment to a
watercolor consistency.

I did this technique with several colors:
Broken China and Scattered Straw.

The process for this page was done using primarily distress inks (and oxides) to get the faded backdrop.  Then I used a texture tile from this month to give it depth and interest.  LOVE LOVE LOVE the texture tiles from June!  They're so beautiful and rich with potential!

 - - - - - -

As I was finishing up my studies in Deuteronomy, I did a "happy/sad dance."  This book was incredibly helpful as I processed the character of God and His glory here in the beginning stages of Israel's history.  So much can be gleaned; so much was relatable as I pored over all the different relationships here.  

Specifically, I was fond of Moses' relationship with God. 
Moses was a very special individual of the Bible.  From the time Moses is born, to the time he dies, the Bible records that God was with him.  Always with him.  Close to him.  Guiding him.  Using him.  Instructing him.  Protecting him.  Disciplining him.  Associating with him.  There was definitely a sweet bond between God and Moses.  Moses took great care, though, to be so in-tuned with God and God's plan.
Having God's direct attention anyway is something that I can't really believe.  I can't think about how a higher Being like Him would be so interested in humanity.  But for sake of the argument, let's just say that God is too high, too big, too lofty, too thoughtful for us; there's no way possible for us to truly understand this type of "high," or this kind of God.  

What I DO understand is that closeness to God is a beautiful, wonderful and POSSIBLE thing through Jesus Christ!

We are absolutely, explicitly beckoned by this Big and Awesome God to join Him in intimacy.  He created man in His own image that we could reflect Him and His glory to the rest of the world.  It's not because we're something so great and fantastic.  No way.  In fact, however close Moses got to God, he was still unable to get close enough to God's true and magnificent glory.  Why?  Because Moses was a flawed and tainted with sin.  He still messed up.  He still stumbled.  He still defied the Almighty, not just once but time and time again.  However, God still reaches down to faulty humanity, uses faulty humanity, and shows His glory through faulty humanity.  God does all for His glory, and like the text says, He even buries people for His glory. 

The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab,

but to this day no one knows the exact place. - Deut. 34:6

I long for this type of intimacy with God.  The kind where God walks with me through every step of my life, holding me through the tough waters, carrying me through the deserts, laying me to rest with His tender hand.  Beautiful, awesome God.  Wonderful, caring God.  Amen.

Much love,  💙💛💚

 - Deeds

IG @mrcfuldeeds2010
Youtube mrcfuldeeds

I Am an Heir

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:16-17

Hey guys!
I'm hopeful about today.  I have been reminded about the absolute and unfathomable graces of the Lord.  When John talks about it, he says something like "grace upon grace."  That's exactly what God does in the life of one He's called into His family!
When journaling this passage of scripture, I didn't quite know how to express the words or heart of appreciation for my God!  Have you ever had that happen?
God knows how much it truly means to us, because He's positioned Himself as the King of our hearts and Lord of our lives - inside!  Therein lies the Holy Spirit that testifies with our spirit - they literally come together in one accord and unit - that we are children.  BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE!

Distress inks used to create subtle and colorful backdrop.

 The scriptures here go on to tell - albeit, rather generally - that once we are children, we are heirs.  Generality in the Bible happens when the human mind and heart cannot completely imagine, describe, or understand the totality of God, His person, His blessings, His character - you name it!  We just can't quite wrap our minds around it!

The good news - the "gospel" - is such that we cannot fully fathom the what's and why's of our salvation in Jesus Christ. 
So, Paul is doing his absolute best, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to help us know what the Lord has revealed to him; and he uses terminology that we "get," at least to some degree!
Here's what we know:
1.  Being heirs with Christ starts when the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit.  In other words, when we have come to the understanding of who Jesus is and accepted Him as such, we are saved by the power of the Holy Spirit and God sees us as a joint-heir with Christ.

Adding "Itty Bitty Blossoms" to
provide a border at the bottom
of the page.

Almost done!

2.  Being a child of God, therefore miraculously entitles us to the inheritence of Jesus Christ!  Jesus is the firstborn of God, the first fruits of the resurrection and the first to receive all that the Father has to give.  But as joint heirs, we are given what Jesus is given - a position as one who will some day be given life in the eternal home with God.  Our destination is secured with God, in Jesus!
3.  Being a joint-heir also positions us as people who suffer with Christ.  The passage clearly points out that though we have eternal glory awaiting us, we do have to remain in the world for a time.  And while in the world, we have hope; the hope of Jesus! The hope of being glorified once our time here is done!

I added white acrylic paint to the bible mat, then
used the brayer to spread it out evenly.

With a thin coat of paint on the mat, the "girl power"
stamp was able to grab a good amount without
getting sloppy.

The acrylic paint gave me a white-stamped
impression on the page.  I did this with several other
"girl power" images.

My heart is overwhelmed by the graciousness and generosity of the Lord.  How can I possibly fathom the inheritance awaiting me in Jesus, when I cannot even fully grasp His riches here on earth?  The Holy Spirit is my connection to Jesus; Jesus is my connection to eternal promise!  Praise Him, I am a child of God!

I usually enjoy the used of a sharpie paint pen to
add small embellishments like crosses across
the page!

I used paper prints to make the clothes of the main "girl power" image
you see here.  I pieced her together and added color to her
face and hair using a simple marker.

If you are a child of God, you are joint-heirs with Christ!  Hopeful, I pray you found this encouraging!
Much Love,
Deeds

Stamps used in this process are:
Girl Power
Itty Bitty Blossoms
& Bitty Minnie Alpha