Get Wisdom

Hey friends!  It's been such a whirlwind of a summer, has it not!?

Chunky Lower Case Alpha

Wacky that we're already to August!  Even more amazing is the release for August at SweetnSassyStamps.com!  YAY!!

I've enjoyed the variety of what has become available.  We have a sweet new alpha that I'm using today, called, "Chunky Lower Case."  It's one of my favorites - I LOVE chunky fonts!  A couple months back, Korin also released a stamp set with textures, and the set I'm using for background interest is called, "Texture Tile 2."  VERY, VERY good set!  These with the printable bundle, made by our very own Diane Noble, made the page you see up top. 

Words of Wisdom Printable Bundle

When the "Words of Wisdom" printable was created for this month's release, I was excited.  Nervous, and excited.  Why nervous?  Because whenever I ask God for Wisdom, I'm faced with the responsibility to act wisely.  Makes sense doesn't it?  When my kids ask for a drink of water and I give it to them, isn't the expectation that they will drink it?  Hmmm….

I think God does the same with His kids.  When we ask for wisdom, knowing that He will give it to us liberally and without reproach (James 1:5), we can expect He would like us to utilize it.   I know sometimes I have the correct and wisest course of action in front of me, and I can still choose to NOT follow through.  Why in the world would I want to do that?  Why would I ask God for His abundant wisdom, but not apply it? 

Maybe it's that I'm selfish and merely want my way anyway; but as much as that can be true, I think I forget too, that wisdom is a precious thing - a treasure!

The scriptures of Proverbs 8 and 9 leave an impression that wisdom is your best and closest Friend.  They seriously - and with great detail - depict wisdom as a person - of a feminine nature, no less!  Wisdom is something that possesses personality, opinion, and will!  And, it's something with whom God wants us to become very familiar. 

I think of older people - "seasoned" ladies and gents - when I think of wisdom.  There is value to having lived a substantial amount of life.  It's why God says children need to listen to their parents!  As faulty and imperfect as we are, children are supposed to look to us for wisdom in certain things.  Yikes!

But further still, I feel like wisdom is "out of reach."  Sometimes, I just feel like I don't need to seek His wisdom because I would not handle it rightly.  Listen: God doesn't give us wisdom contingent on our being able to handle it rightly; He gives it to us because it's our lifeline to making EVERY LITTLE DECISION of life!  And it's one that He hands over to the one who seeks it - even me!

Anyone at ANY time can gain this wisdom that was with God "ages ago." (v. 23)  I love how Proverbs 8 explains Wisdom's presence WITH God in the beginning.  Above all else, Wisdom handled the matter of creation alongside God.  God utilized Wisdom in all His decisions, creations and dealings with man as well.  He used Wisdom to make man, heal man, and win man!  What's more, God gives us this very notable, valuable gift of Wisdom to connect us to Himself!
"The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  (9:10)  WOW!

This I love beyond all else.  God gives us an idea of how to become wise (living in reverential awe and worship of Him), so that He may have relationship with us!  WHAT AN AMAZING GOD!  Why?  Why would He want so badly to be in communion with us?  The answer is in the beginning - back where wisdom was with God - when the good Lord created man in His image, to bear His light and life!  He wants us for His glory. 

It seems weird to think that wisdom brings us closer to God, doesn't it?  But becoming wise, is not just about being smart or having an intellect; the act of becoming wise means that you have just entered into a full encounter with God Almighty, and He's ready to infuse you with this incredible gift!  

SO YES!  GET WISDOM!  Get Wisdom, and get close to God!  Get as close as you possibly can to God!

I want this Wisdom.  I have BFF's but THIS one, I need more than anything!  Yes, LORD!  Give me Wisdom!

Much love,

Deeds

Noah's Ark

Growing up in church, one of the first bible stories you learn about is Noah's Ark. God was upset with the way all the people he created were living so he decided to wash away all of the sin and start over. Of course, that's not really to point you focus on when teaching small kids about the story. You learn about the flood, that God told Noah to build an ark, and that all the animals in the world filled the ark... two by two. 😊 And after all the flood waters receded, God sent a rainbow to promise he would never flood the Earth again.

Genesis 9:15-16

"I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. 

Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, 

I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between 

God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” 

When you think about the reason God sent the flood, it's a little overwhelming to think about just how mad and hurt God must have been to decide that he just needed to wipe the slate clean and start over. I mean, he put so much time into creating this world, the animals and all the people in it. He loved us dearly! But we sinned against him SO MUCH, that he decided there was nothing else he could do but do away with all of the sin by starting all over with new people.

Genesis 6:5–8
"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

God chose Noah to be the one to build the ark. Noah was a righteous person who led a good life and believed in God. Noah obeyed God's commands and did as he asked and in return Noah and his family were saved and chosen to in time, repopulate the earth. What a weight of responsibility Noah had on his shoulders!! Can you just imagine?!

Noah is one of the great men of the bible and with the release of our new Brotherly Love stamp set, I know I wanted to illustrate him and part of his story. This page was a lot of fun to create and I kind of felt like a little kid revisiting this story and soaking in the story in a different way that I did when I was younger. When God sent the rainbow after the flood, it must have been such a beautiful sight to Noah and his family! The first rainbow ever to be seen! And now every time we see a rainbow, I tell my kids why we have rainbows!! So in completing this page I really wanted the rainbow to be bold and important. So I chose to have it stand up off the page covering the words of this beautiful story. 

I wish I could say this rainbow was fun to make.... but it was really quite difficult trying to make it stand up on the page exactly the way I wanted it too. And sadly, I wasn't able to figure out exactly how to fold it so it would pop up off my page as you open my bible 😔. So I ended up folding the edge of this cloud so it rests on my page but not permanently attached to it. I have listed all the various elements used for this page below.

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

Brotherly Love 

Script Outline Alpha

Skinny Minnie Alpha

Little Leo Lion Digital Stamp

You're Giraffe-ic Digital Stamp