Names of God Advent Calendar

 Hello Friends!

I have always enjoyed doing advent calendars with my daughters since they were little. My favorite advent calendars focus on Christ. Last year, I made my first advent calendar using faithdex cards and the names of Jesus. This year, I used the names of Jesus again, but made 2 hanging advent calendars for my daughters. They are 18 & 21 now, and this was a fun craft to make for them. I was shopping and found some clothespins with small wood slices and numbers on them. That's what got me started! I got some burlap bags, found 2 sticks in my yard, and already had the twine. I tied the twine to the sticks so that it hangs down and the bags can be clipped haphazardly to the twine. It was really easy to make! I stamped each bag with a name of Jesus. Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps has some sets of names and that made the stamping go really quickly. See the end of the post for the stamp sets used. I was under a time crunch, so I didn't have time to stamp the verse that goes with each name on the bag. But I plan to add the verses. I filled the bag with little goodies and hope the girls will read the verses each day and soak in who Jesus is. 

Jesus is known by many names. Some of these are characteristics. Some explain who He is. As we study these names of Jesus, we should contemplate how Jesus manifests Himself as each of these in our lives. By studying and understanding these names, we know our Savior better.

Here is the list of names I used:

1. Light of the World, John 8:12
2. Messiah, Daniel 9:25
3. Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6
4. Alpha and Omega, Revelation 22:13
5. Bread of Life, John 6:35
6. Creator, Nehemiah 9:6
7. Wonderful Counselor, Isaiah 9:6
8. Deliverer, 2 Samuel 22:2
9. Narrow Gate, Matthew 7:13
10. Everlasting Father, Isaiah 9:6
11. Emmanuel, Isaiah 7:14
12. Faithful & True, Revelation 19:11
13. Good Shepherd, John 10:11&14
14. Redeemer, Job 19:25
15. Yahweh, Isaiah 45:24
16. Lamb of God, John 1:29
17. True Vine, John 15:5
18. King of kings, 1 Timothy 6:15
19. God Almighty, Isaiah 9:6
20. High Tower, Psalm 18:2
21. Savior, Acts 13:23
22. Jehovah, Joel 2:27-28
23. Christ, Matthew 16:16
24. Word of God, John 1:1&14

I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: His Name, I Am, He Is.

Have a blessed Christmas focused on our sweet Savior. 

Andrea

Keeping It Simple

Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the Lord, who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel." Ruth 4:14

Hi Friends,

Sometimes, simple is best. Can you relate? Often we get so caught up in whatever we're doing, that we make it harder than it needs to be. We don't mean to, we just want it to be nice- whether it's a journaling page, a wedding, a small get together, something at church...

God sometimes goes the simple route. Our great Lord and Savior was born in a simple, definitely not extravagant, manger. And, He lived a simple life, not interested in material goods and focused on relationships. But He could certainly do extravagant things when He wanted to!

In this season of my life, things are changing. We are about to move to another state. My husband and I will be living in the same town as our parents for the first time of our adult lives. One daughter is going into her senior year of college and the other daughter is going into her senior year of high school. And, right now, "simple" is really attractive to me. And, simply, I'm focusing on the fact that Jesus is my Redeemer. No matter what changes in my life, that will not change. 

The women talking to Naomi were talking about Boaz who was her and Ruth's kinsman redeemer. According to Jewish law, a kinsman redeemer was usually the nearest male relative, and had 2 main responsibilities- to redeem family property and to marry a childless widow and raise children in her dead husband's name. Ruth is a beautiful story that gives us a picture of Jesus as our Kinsman Redeemer. Ruth was in need of rescue. And so are we. Jesus redeems us; and the church is His bride. All we have to do is repent and call out to Him, and we will be saved. No strings attached. It's that simple.

May Jesus' name become famous in not only Israel, but around the world!

Page details: Black and white is about as simple as you can get. And these days filled with activities preparing for a move, I am thankful that I can still find time to do some black and white pages while focusing on Jesus. I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: His Name, Way Maker, & Prayer Time. 

Have a blessed week! And keep it simple.😆 Andrea

My Redeemer Has Come

 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the Lord. Isaiah 59:20

Hi Friends!

On the Creative Worship Facebook page, we had a virtual retreat this past Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, some of you were able to participate! Anyway, after the retreat, I found myself looking back at past pages I have journaled. And I found this one. I journaled it at the first of last year. It's a simple page, but I really like how it turned out. This verse spoke to me again. Of course, Isaiah is speaking to the Jews. But that Redeemer he speaks of is my Redeemer too! And oh how I long for Jesus to come back. Do you feel that longing too? To be face to face with our sweet Savior is hard to wait for! Of course, it's all in His timing, isn't it? And His timing is perfect. I look forward to that day, whenever it may be.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You will come again. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to dwell within us while we are here on earth. Thank You for Your perfect plan and Your perfect timing. As I wait for Your return, I rest in You. I hope in You. I trust in You. Amen and amen.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: His Name, Typewriter Blocks Alpha, and All Your Heart. I drew the hills and sun with Micron pens and used watercolor crayons to color in the page. I also used a Micron pen to shadow the word "come."

Have a blessed week! Andrea

The Spirit of True Beauty...

Hi friends,

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture, maybe a verse in particular, and really felt challenged by how you could ever live up to that instruction or ideal? I know I have... many times! One of those passages is 1 Peter 3:3-4 where Peter writes to wives of unbelieving husbands in some first century churches, 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is great worth in God's sight.'

The reason I have found these verses challenging is that quiet and gentle are two words that definitely do NOT describe me! I am chatty, loud and opinionated and can be stubborn and sometimes harsh in my tone towards others. God has taken me on a journey over the last couple of decades in learning how to temper these personality traits and he has chipped off and smoothed down some of the rough edges through gentle teaching and not-so-gentle experiences. But the fact remains that I am still not a quiet or gentle person. Does anyone else relate to this struggle?

When I was creating this page I started reflecting on this 'quiet and gentle spirit' and was reminded that this is a description that could be attributed to the Holy Spirit. One of the images used for the Holy Spirit is a dove, which is both gentle and quiet, and one of the fruits of the spirit is gentleness. That does not mean that the Holy Spirit is not also fire or that he does not challenge injustice or sin. But the Spirit does work in quiet and gentle ways to lead us to Christ and in his ways. That was encouraging to me because I know that the Holy Spirit dwells in me and therefore the Spirit who is gentle and quiet leads and guides me. Even though my personality is not gentle or quiet, I can rely on the Spirit in me to help me to quiet my spirit (and my mouth!) and to respond to others with gentleness.

I used the beautiful new True Beauty set on this page, stamping the roses with Sage Versamagic ink then colouring with watercolours and coloured pencils. The text is a combination of True Beauty, His Name and Bitty Minnie Alpha and I added a couple of little accent images from Let's Do This. I added a butterfly stamped and die-cut with Made New and the coordinating dies.

Let's be grateful for the quiet and gentle ministry of the Holy Spirit at work within us.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

We Preach Christ Crucified...

Hi friends,

'For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.' 

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Paul is really clear about what his message is: it is to preach Christ crucified. He didn't compromise this message, he didn't water it down, take away from it or add to it. He stuck to the simple truth, despite being misunderstood and ridiculed. He knew that even though this truth was a stumbling block to some and folly to others, Christ was both the power and wisdom of God, and his crucifixion is central to the expression of God's power and wisdom.

When I reflect on this scripture it makes me wonder about how we proclaim the message of Christ. Do we water it down? Do we compromise on truth? Do we avoid speaking certain truths because we are worried about what people will think or how they will respond? It is all too easy for the message of the Gospel to be diluted or polluted, and Paul was very aware of this. He shows us how to proclaim the simple Gospel message. Let's join him in preaching Christ crucified.

This was a pretty simple page to put together with a couple of stencils and some acrylic paint. I stamped the cross from Rustic Easter onto watercolour card and coloured with watercolours then cut it out and glued it over the stencilled background. The text is a combination of Skinny Lowercase Alpha, His Name and Teeny Alpha.

May God help us to preach Christ crucified in whatever way he gives us opportunity.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Water from the Rock...

Hi friends,

I am sharing four pages with you today because they all tie together within the same theme/events in the Bible. The two miraculous events are found in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 and both are a demonstration of God's provision for a thirsty, grumbling people.

In Exodus 17 the people of Israel are traveling in the desert and have no water. They grumble to and against Moses, demanding that he give them water. His response is to firstly point out that they are in fact grumbling against God (a sobering truth to reflect upon in our own grumbling!), then he cries out to God for help. God's reply is that he should strike the rock that is in their midst, and when he does, water flows out - enough water to quench the thirst of many, many people. God's provision is so lavish and so gracious, despite the quarreling, grumbling and lack of faith of the people.

Years later, towards the end of Moses' life, a similar scenario unfolds in a different place. The people have no water and again complain to Moses and Aaron, grumbling about being in the desert, not having grain or fruit, and even wishing that they were dead! Once again, Moses and Aaron go and seek the Lord about this dire situation and God responds graciously. He commands Moses to speak to the rock that was in their midst and that water would flow. Moses however, instead of obeying God's command to speak to the rock, speaks to the people and says “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” He then strikes the rock twice. This response shows anger and frustration, and taking matters into his own hands. God in his grace still provides water for his people, despite Moses' disobedience, but Moses pays a heavy price: he is no longer allowed to enter the promised land. 

In Deuteronomy 8 we see Moses reminding the people of all that God had done for them (they had a habit of forgetting!). In this speech, he reminds them of these instances of provision of water from the rock, and this time he gets the emphasis right: it was God who brought forth the water, not him. In fact, it was despite him, despite circumstances and despite the people's grumbling attitudes, that God provided. Oh what grace. There are so many lessons we can learn from these accounts in the Old Testament. Lessons about going to God with your problems, about the importance of obedience in leadership and the need to not let frustration and anger drive our reactions. There are lessons about gratitude and grumbling, and about giving God the glory rather than taking it for ourselves. Isn't Scripture amazing with its richness?

But there's another aspect of this theme that appears in the New Testament...

In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul writes about how we need to learn from Israel's history, particularly from their mistakes and God's character shown in his dealings with them. In reflecting on these 'water from the rock' instances, Paul writes that the rock that followed them was Christ. It was out of the riches of Christ that the people were satisfied. Now here's where the part about striking and speaking gets really interesting. Jesus was struck for us (see Isaiah 53 and the narratives of the crucifixion) and as a result, salvation flowed to us. But once was enough (see Hebrews 7:27 & 10:10) - Jesus doesn't need to keep being sacrificed and struck for us because his suffering and sacrifice was perfect and complete. Now, we only need to speak to him in prayer to receive his provision, nourishment and life-giving Spirit. How awesome is that? I just love how these truths are unfolded throughout Scripture and how everything is centered in Christ.

For all of these pages I used the same supplies: Inktense blocks and a paintbrush, as well as black Versamagic ink and of course, stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy! I used the new School Days Alpha and Faith Wordfetti as well as Living Water, Mighty Fortress, His Name and Sweet & Simple Alpha. Here are the sets I used:

I know this post has been a long one, but there was so much to share about this thread of water from the rock throughout Scripture. I hope that you have been encouraged and that God will speak to you through his Word so you would know his gracious provision right where you are.

x Amy x

The Word is Emmanuel

Hello, creative worship friends!

I'm glad you're in here this morning.  The "Sweet n Sassy Stamps" creative team have been working (or should I say, "playing?") hard to bring you some of the neatest samples of the June release ever! 

I've been so amazed at the different things that I've seen so far, and I'm more excited about seeing what y'all make as this month progresses.  It's awesome to see bits and pieces of God's creative hand in each of us, isn't it?  Just when you think you've seen it all, God reaches down and displays a little more of His glory through a brush, a stencil, a stamp, or just a pencil.  I love it.  I love it a lot.

It's fascinating that such a big, holy, indescribable God could think of and work through someone like you or me.  The first time man "messed up," His righteous right hand stayed in place to allow His most glorious creation to continue to exist; continue to exist, and even multiply and populate the earth with more of the same kind.

In Genesis 3:15, we find the first rendition of the sweet gospel of Grace. 
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."  

This here is something so far beyond what I can understand as far as God's sovereignty and redemption plan.  When the LORD speaks like this, He Himself is testifying of His own goodness and grace for mankind that was (and has been since) actively rebelling against Him.  Though we have an inborn illness of a wicked heart, God saw it as a good and self-glorifying thing to allow man an escape; freedom from this hardened heart, and freedom to a heart like His own.  There is a "Seed" that comes from a woman, and that "Seed" will indeed be in opposition to the state of the wickedness and rebellion set forth by our Adversary - the Satan. 
God speaks so beautifully into His plan of death versus Salvation in Jesus Christ, giving a picture wherein Jesus will be injured by the adversary - a temporary, non-lethal wound - and Jesus would deliver an eternal, completely lethal blow to said adversary!  The swap of battle wounds would render our enemy defeated, and our King on His Throne forever!

Throughout the rest of scripture we're given account after account and type after type of the Plan.
The Way.
Emmanuel.
God with us.
The Word.

True to form, God inspires another prophet to speak the name, "Emmanuel," to encourage and motivate the people to follow the one true God again.  Isaiah's words tie in what God has said before regarding a "Seed," and mingles it with another prophecy of a God-man that would come and dwell among man.  This Messiah would be the hope of the world; the Savior; the Christ that comes through a virgin and saves the people from their sins!

Again, in John 1, we see something called "the Word."  This is no ordinary word, and no ordinary saying.  It's not a psalm, it's not a proverb, it's not a prophecy.  It's THE Word of God - HIS Word that would be spoken across the spans of humanity, calling and curing all who would come.  It says,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  Then, in v.14 comes the formula for understanding this God-man in the greatest capacity possible:
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
The Word.
God with Us.
Emmanuel.
The Way.

That God sent His only Begotten to save the world, to cleanse us from our unrighteous ick, to replace ick with His beauty and purity, to be the Hope and Light in darkness and confusion, is the very Word we need to hear.  It's the very Word we need to breathe.  The same Word we need to dwell in us, changing us, prepping us for His eternal Kingdom. 
God is so kind. 
His love never ends.
His grace ever enough.
Jesus, we love you.

Much love, my friends.
Deeds

Speak faithfully...

Hi friends,

It is an enormous privilege to have access to the Word of God. There are so many people around the world that either can't afford a bible, aren't allowed a bible, or don't have a the bible translated into their own language. The access we in first world nations have to Scripture is astonishing.

With that access comes several responsibilities though. Firstly, we need to not take this access for granted and should seek to study God's Word diligently and carefully, following the leading of the Holy Spirit as he directs us as to how we need to apply his words to our lives.

The  other responsibility we have is to share God's Word faithfully with others. There are so many ways we can do this, whether in conversations with friends, in sharing the good news of the Gospel, or in preaching and teaching. One way of sharing that has increased hugely in the last few years is through social media, and for us in particular, through Bible Journaling.

One of the things that I have been thinking about in my own art and sharing of the Word is how I do that faithfully. For me, faithfulness to Scripture means studying diligently, learning from others, speaking and listening with humility, and embracing the whole counsel of God. That means engaging with the harder-to-understand or difficult-to-hear texts and not just sticking with the ones that make us or others feel nice. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness. So as we engage with, journal, illustrate and speak God's Word, we need to explore both the Old and New Testaments, gospel and history, Psalms and prophets, encouragement and rebuke. And in all of this, we need to look for and to Jesus, who said that the Scriptures testify to him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39).

I tried the 'no-line watercolour' technique on this page using the beautiful new Delightful Daisies set. To achieve this look, you stamp the outline images using a light ink (I used Versamagic Sage) then using watercolour, add colour and shading to the flower centres and each petal. It does take a while, but it's a great way to practice colouring skills! The verse is a combination of alpha stickers along with His Name and Bitty Minnie Alpha (my favourite alphabet set!).

Let's be grateful for the access we have to the Word of God and take seriously our responsibility to share it faithfully...

x Amy x

My Redeemer Lives!

Hi friends,

The book of Job is a difficult one for many to read and meditate on, considering how much pain, suffering and questioning is present for the majority of the book. Many times Job cries out to God in anguish asking for answers, then complains at the silence he receives in return. When reading this it feels to me as if Job is despairing at God's seeming lack of care or answer to his cries. But in amongst all this pain, Job makes an astonishing statement of faith: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25)

Interestingly, his words immediately before this declaration are, "Oh that my words were written! Oh they they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!" Little did Job know at the time of him uttering these words that his prayer would be answered, and thousands of years later we would have his words in front of us, in a book, available forever. When I think about Job's prayers and declaration of faith in God, even in the middle of all of the pain and suffering he was facing, I am encouraged when it comes to our own situations.

You see, even when it feels completely dark and terribly lonely, and questions swirl around our hearts and minds unanswered, we can know that God hears our prayers and he will answer. This knowledge can stir our hearts to declare in faith what we believe to be true about God, even if our circumstances don't appear to line up right at that very moment.

As we approach the Easter weekend and contemplate both the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can hold on to this truth from Job's lips and inscribed in Scripture forever: we know that our Redeemer lives! Even when it's dark, even when it seems like evil has the upper hand, even when we feel alone, neglected or in pain: our Redeemer lives! And as our Redeemer, he will redeem ALL things in his way and in his time - in his infinite power and love. 

I had a lot of fun with acrylic paints on this page. I started with a background of different coloured paints thinly applied and blended together with a flat paintbrush. I then stamped the daisies from the new Delightful Daisies set, masking the larger image that I stamped first, then stamping others overlapping it so that when I removed the mask, it looked like the flowers were behind and in front of one another. I then added some green paint around the daisy images, blending that into the background. Finally, I added a bit of extra shading and highlights using some coloured pencils. The verse was stamped using a combination of alphabet stickers and His Name (which is such a fabulously useful Bible journaling set!).

Here are the sets I used:

Let's declare the good news of our risen Redeemer in all circumstances...

x Amy x