Desert Lessons of 2020

 

Deuteronomy 8:1-5

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 

He humbles you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not line on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 

Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."

Shew that was a longer excerpt than I usually share, but its all too good and too poignant to leave out any  of it. Am I right?! This CRAZY season we are in never seems to stop getting crazier! We had an earthquake here in North Carolina a couple weeks ago, and we never get earthquakes here! So, just add it to the crazy list of 2020. ✓

Through all of these crazy and stressful moments, you can't help but ask yourself "What can I be learning from this time?" Though hard times and difficult to go through, God does not walk us through those hard times for no reason. Dark times can be gifts from God if we let him teach us what he's trying to teach us. Our pastor shared 4 things that he thinks we can learn from this "desert" season we're in. And he called is a Desert season because the word desert means uninhabited. And we are definitely in some uninhabited/unprecedented times for sure!

 

The 4 Desert Lessons God May 

Want Us to Remember From 2020

1. We need to remember how God led us...

Just because we can't see where we are going in the future, doesn't mean God isn't leading us! He led Moses through the desert for forty years, and his people had to continue to trust him. 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

2. We need to remember how God tested us...

God keeps his promises and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm. At the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, 

and so provide you with a way out.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

3. We need to remember how God provided for us...

"He humbles you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not line on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years." Deuteronomy 8:3-4

4. We need to remember how God disciplined us...

A parent disciplines their child not because they don't love them, but because they DO! A parents job is to shape their children into good people. And sometimes that means discipline. God does the same with each of us. 

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." Deuteronomy 8:5

I hope you found some value in this sermon as I did. I love to record life moments and lessons in the pages of my bibles. It will be something I can look back on tomorrow, next year or years from now and they we be just as important and relevant as they are right now. The bibles I work in are also going to be gifts to my children when they are older. So I am filling them with not only artwork, but with the knowledge and wisdom of our creator. 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

IG: @faith.and.creativity

Let's Do This 

Landscape Silhouettes 

Messy Stamped Alpha

Typewriter Blocks Alpha

Classy Script Alpha

Grunge Elements 2

WWJD?

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11

Hi Sweet Friends!

WWJD? Do you remember when those bracelets and that saying were all the rage? What Would Jesus Do? That's a great question. I find myself asking that quite often in this modern day. In this modern world where we are expected to accept any and all behaviors and not call sin sin, what would Jesus do? HWLF.  I came across a bracelet with those letters on it and wondered what they stood for. He Would Love First. It was the answer to the WWJD question. And I thought to myself, "yes, that's what He would do." Isn't that what He shows us in the gospels? Time after time, He met sinners and not once did He condone their sins, but because they could feel His love, they were drawn to Him. And because they were drawn to Him, they listened to Him. They changed their lives because of Him.

1 John 4:7-21 says a lot about God's love for us. Jesus DIED for us. What greater love is there? And because He loves us, we are called to love others. God IS love. If we call ourselves His followers, then we need to be loving. Not judging. Not beating people over the head with our Bibles. Not telling sinners they're going to hell. Because guess what? We're sinners too. And the only reason I'm not going to hell is because of Jesus. And He didn't sacrifice Himself just for me. He did it for everyone. All they have to do is be drawn by His love and repent of their sins and accept Him as their Savior.

He Would Love First. And you and I should love first too. I'm not saying we should condone sin. We shouldn't. But we're not going to be able to share the gospel well unless the people we are talking to feel loved. Then their hearts will open. Their eyes and ears will open. And, maybe, just maybe, they will change their lives.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Surrounded in Prayer, Marquee Caps, Bitty Minnie Alpha, His Love, Grunge Elements 2, and Texture Tiles 1. Surrounded in Prayer is a neat set created in honor of our Creative Team member Jane Bosi and her recent battle with breast cancer for the purpose of raising funds for a cause that is dear to her heart. SNSS is partnering with Aspirus to raise funds for their Family House project which will support families while their loved ones undergo treatment. $10 from each stamp sold will be donated to the Aspirus Family House project. To find out more about this project visit their website: https://www.aspirus.org/family-house-at-aspirus . I stamped the Marquee alpha with distress oxide pads. I also used watercolor crayons and a Micron pen.

We are loved. So, let's love.

Be well my friends! Andrea

Be Humble, Gentle and Patient

Ephesians 4:2-3

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."

I don't know if it's because Valentine's Day is approaching or what, but I woke up super grateful for my husband the day I created this page. My husband and I don't pay too much attention to Valentine's Day in particular, mainly because our anniversary is the next month and we rather focus on and celebrate that occasion instead. But it's also important that we celebrate our significant other all the time, not just on special occasions. 

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities and to-do lists that its really easy to take each other for granted! I know I'm guilty of it myself sometimes! We all are at one point or another. When you're a part of a couple, you each have you're own role, or duties you typically take care of while you partner has others. And sometimes, you get so use to your husband or wife taking care of those things, you take it for granted that they always get done. 

There are some days my husband comes home and all I can seem to do is focus on negative things, or the things he isn't doing. And in turn, sometimes he comes home and instead of seeing how much I took care of all day long, he only sees the laundry that is still sitting on the sofa, or the kids toys on the floor, dinner not cooked, etc. It's all too easy to see and point out things someone isn't doing. But it is so important that we seek out and celebrate the best thing is our husbands and wives. We all have our own set of pressures that others can't always see. Pressures we sometimes hide from others because we don't want to burden them with that stress.

Ephesians 4:2-3 tells us we should be humble, gentle, and patient. Bearing with one another in love! God brought me to my husband, paired us together and blessed us with the life we are living and I could not be more grateful. He is my rock when things get rough, my biggest supporter, the father to my children, my friend and my love. He works so hard to support his family and he loves us unconditionally. What more can you ask for? So I need to continue to remind myself to be humble, gentle, and patient when things may seem less than perfect. I can't always see all the stress swirling around in his head, and he can't always see mine. So we need to bear with each other, through it all, and grow together in love. 

Life isn't perfect, it's just not possible. So hold on to the people God has blessed you with, and treat them with love and respect. 

Prayer: Thank you Lord for my husband! I am beyond grateful for him and all the blessings we have in our life. Please help me to not lose sight of the little or big things. I pray that I always see the best in him and that I can always be a loving and supportive wife. May we always make you the center of our marriage. 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

His Love 

Skinny Caps Alpha 

Grunge Elements 2

Mini Grunge Type Alpha 

Texture Tiles 3

Bitty Minnie Alpha

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

Be A Heart Donor

Happy Saturday everyone!

I know we have all seen those church message boards that we drive past day in and day out. Sometimes they just have upcoming church events, church members and miscellaneous messages on them. The other day while driving I passed one that really jumped out at me. It said "Be a Donor, Give Your Heart to Jesus"! I thought wow, what an interesting way to think about that concept. I pondered the thought of this simple message as I drove down the road and brainstormed how I could put this fun message into my bible. And then it occurred to me, this message board did exactly what it was intended to do. A quick little statement to catch your attention away from your busy day and make you think about Jesus! Isn't that also why we share our bible journaling pages sometimes?! To share a piece of ourselves that may help someone else get closer to God!

Romans 10:9-10

"Because, if you confess with your mouth the Jesus is Lord 

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, 

you will be saved. 

For with the heart one believes and is justified, 

and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

Our God is amazing!! In order for us the be accepted into his kingdom, all he asks is that we accept him as our Lord and Savior and that believe that God raised him from the dead, and we will be saved!  All of us are sinners, time and time again, and yet thats all we have to do to be accepted by him. He has an endless amount of mercy and grace to pour over us. Accept his love, and give your heart to Jesus!

Creative Details

For this page I used several different stamp sets. The brand new Girl Power stamp set was a perfect and fun stamp to use to create a organ donor type card for this page. I watercolored the card and cut it out to place it on top of my page. I also mixed up a few of our alphas when stamping the statement. It always gives it a fun element to the page when you mix up the font styles. I have also linked the different stamps used below.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

Girl Power 

Bitty Minnie Alpha 

Classy Script Alpha

Skinny Caps Alpha

Texture Tiles 1 

Grunge Elements 2

Jesus Paid It All

Reading through Leviticus is just top on everyone’s favorite list, right? I think probably not. It’s a hard book to read and comprehend ALL the rules and the laws and the sacrifices.

“Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭1:4-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The sacrifices...oh my! A bull for a sin offering. A lamb for a peace offering. A goat for a sin offering. Wait. I thought it was a bull for a sin offering? Or was that a goat for a purification offering? Or was that a burnt offering?

Keeping it all straight was bad enough.  Then can you just imagine the messiness of it? Their were animals everywhere.  Are you smelling a barn yard about now?  If that doesn't curdle your stomach, then there was the blood...blood that was poured out and splattered as an offering. These sacrifices and offerings were made to renew right standing with the Lord.

It was just so much. So messy. I began to think just how thankful I was that I didn’t have to go through all of those sacrifices. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Exactly what did I think Jesus did for me? Wasn’t His death messy and bloody? Oh my. It was far more than messy. I shudder when I think of His personal sacrifice..for me. And for You.

“With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:12-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

May I never take His death on the cross for me lightly. Jesus paid it all...all to Him I owe.

The art behind the story:

This page was very simple artistically to create, but very difficult as I pondered the sacrifice of my Lord.

The background consists of oxide ink applied with a sponge and then spritzed with water.  The words are from the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps collection entitled Timeless Hymns.  The blood spatters are from Grunge Elements 2.  

Looking forward to seeing what you all create next.  Have a wonderful Easter!!

Hugs,

Gayle (Patio Ponderings)