He's Got A Plan

{jane bosi} Happy Day, Sweet Friends!!

Today, I'm revisiting a journaling page I shared a while back.  You see, I had a plan.  Artistically, I've been struggling--work stress, life stress, change--normally would drive me to the Studio for some art therapy.  My son left for college for the first time in early September.  It.  Is.  Hard.  My remedy has been to stay busy, family outings, lots of together time.  I had planned and saved last weekend as an art weekend...a time to finally, get back in the Studio.

And, then, my son surprised me and came home!  I was in the Studio.  Working my plan.  I thought I heard his voice and quickly scolded myself as ridiculous.  Then, my youngest shouted out "Ben's home!!"  Best derailment of plans of ever!

Early Sunday morning, I rose and thought to quickly create something new to share today.  I started to panic, trying to force something.  I wanted to get something done before my kiddos got up so we could spend the day together before having to take Ben back to school.  No ideas.  I started paging through my bible and reading passages. And, realized, I could just stop.  I could just share something I'd already done.  Y'all would understand. 

I landed on Jeremiah 29:11

The prayer of this passage has been a pleading, a clinging to promise not just about my own life, but for the life of my recently launched child.  Will you join me in praying that my son will follow?  I know his God pursues him....with plans for welfare and not evil, to give him a future and a hope.

My little life snippet is such a good reminder of the way in which God is always working for our betterment.  Regardless of the plans we have for ourselves.  His plans are greater; His plans are higher.  I had to lay down the plans I had made.  I cannot begin to tell you of the ways in which my unplanned (by me) weekend with my son has been a blessing.

I created this page with many goodies from the stamp store:  Faith Quote Blocks, My Creator and Note This. 

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers.  In Him,
Jane

Take Refuge But Don't Fear

I'm so happy to be rejoining Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps as part of the Creative Worship design team.  I took some time off to move and get settled into our new home, and unfortunately my craft room was the last to be organized.  It's wonderful to be creating again with the SNSS stamps designed specifically with Bible journaling in mind.  There were so many options in the November releases, but I'd been drawn to the focal passage below anyway, and I love to design according to my worship first and find stamps that fit the bill.

We are living in tumultuous times from several vantage points. But God's people have experienced unrest and troublesome circumstances, even devastating circumstances throughout the centuries. God's Word points us directly to Him when we are in trouble.  Again and again, God tells us to lay our worries and fears at His feet and take refuge in Him, because He is sovereign.  God shows us what fear and faith look like in His Word.  Regardless of our circumstances, God is good and the one who takes refuge in Him, His character, His promises will be blessed. 

   

For my DT submission, I used the fabulous new set, Faith Quote Blocks, the delicious Chunky Alphabet and a couple of stamps from the new Furry Friends set. They all pulled together to accurately express my heart's response to the passage of scripture in Psalm 34 and 35.  I'd been looking at these chapters anyway, and when I saw the stamp for Ps. 34:8 and C. H. Spurgeon's quote...well, they were perfect.  I love the way the passage describes "trying out" God as "taste and see."  If we only come to Him, give Him a place in our minds and hearts to work, He will take all our fear and replace it with assurance, comfort and a place of refuge.  We really do not have to worry.

Laying down worry doesn't mean we will not experience hardships or times when ungodly people come against us.  As a matter of fact, if we are following Christ, we are certain to make enemies.  It's normal to have times of fear, but we can't hang onto them.  We have to trade our fear for faith and let God work through our circumstances.  He can ALWAYS do a better job anyway.  He does a PERFECT job!  (You can see more photos and detail on my backgrounds on my blog.)

  

Faith Quote Blocks                         Chunky Alphabet

 

Furry Friends

Check out more stamps that are perfect for your Bible journaling artwork in the Creative Worship section of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  Thanks for stopping in!

Diane's Daydream Designs Blog