My God, That is Who You Are!

"And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped."  

Ex. 12:26-27

Hello!
It's Deeds with another devotional and Bible Journaling page!  This one is such a fun one to me.  A LOT of stamping; a LOT of ink; a LOT of color; a LOT of fun!

Before I start, let me just say that this is a different sort of process for me.  There wasn't the usual background smooshing I do.  There are no ornate flowers or shapes.  It's pretty simple, actually, and one of my favorite pages I've ever done.  Mostly because the page represents something amazing!  God recently used a song to help me - urge me - to become more aware of His presence and work.  After this song was introduced to me (and my church), the Lord also led me to a Bible study of Exodus 12.  

This precious section of scripture put all the words of the song mentioned into plain and solid doctrine that could find lodging in my weary heart. 
We can be weary of so many things, in so many ways.  You don't have to be going through a huge ordeal to be weary.  You don't have to be suffering in sickness or want to be weary.  Sometimes just the constant badgering of our enemy to believe age-old lies about you, and about God, can be overwhelming and especially taxing spiritually.

Following a couple Sundays of "Way Maker," and then this sweet portion of God's Word, my heart finds itself refreshed and ready to take on the day - and MORE! 
With a reminder of the Gospel of grace comes healing, repenting, restoration, revival, strength and power!  Truths in scripture lend so much perspective, insight, and truth!
1.  God is God.
2.  I am His.

Everything that follows those two amazing statements is bonus; everything that comes out of God being God, and my being His, is a supernatural outflow through the Holy Spirit. 
Because I am His, I am safe.
Because I am His, I do not want.

Because God is God, there is truth.
Because God is God, there is a way.

Because God is God, I know my own sinfulness.

Because I am His, I also know forgiveness.

There's more.  A bunch more, and all we ever need "for life and godliness," is in the pages of God's breathed-out message of a future and a hope. 

The lyrics to the song I'm referring to, go like this:

You are here
Moving in our midst
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Working in this place
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Moving in our midst
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Working in this place
I worship you
I worship you

Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are
Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are

You are here
Touching every heart
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Healing every heart
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Turning lives around
I worship you
I worship you
You are here
Mending every heart
I worship you
I worship you

I stamped out the titles of God mentioned in this song, relating them to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the misery of bondage, but also to the deliverance of all people post-crucifixion and our misery in bondage!

For the Israelites:
God made a way through through the very front door of Egypt, through the chasm of separated waters in the Red Sea, to a place of freedom and worship!
God performed mighty miracles of help and solace when they began to hunger, thirst, and misplace their trust.
God made good on His promise for a future of life and prosperity under His guidance for a people who would make Him their Lord. 
God was Light in the darkness multiple times, allowing His glory to be shown to a small degree that they may see His care and provision.

For us today:
Jesus IS the Way, and beckons us to find Him, the narrow entrance to His kingdom.
Jesus IS the Miracle of hope and healing for every "weary" soul, to the glory of Almighty God!
Jesus IS the fulfillment of God's promise, and He continues to shine God's faithfulness to ALL generations.
Jesus IS the Light in our world, giving us light in a very dark place.

Yes, there is more.  Much more. 
The Bible says, however, that not every single wonder Jesus has done could be completely recorded for there is not enough space to pen them!  But we know from scripture that we CAN understand this:
He is the Way-maker,
Miracle Worker,
Promise Keeper,
Light in the Darkness.
My God, that is WHO YOU ARE!

Much love this Tuesday,
Deeds

Pray Big, Bold Prayers

Hello there!

It's Deeds, and I wanted to share something: a bit of my world, as movement, change and situations occur.  There's a lot I could say, but I have found that when God is working at the present time, all my mind can muster is, "God is good.  God is in control.  God is sovereign."

It's the mantra I'm living by currently.  I haven't found anything else that suffices for the hurt and dark that seems to be encroaching.   Nothing but these broad and core truths about God's character will act as my rock, my refuge and my strength. 
God IS good.

God IS in control.
God IS sovereign.

When we come to the broken and weakened parts of life, I think our initial reaction is, "Why, God?"  At least that was mine when faced with news so stunning, I had to fight hard to believe what was happening was actually happening. 
You probably know that feeling. 
That feeling of doubt.  Denial.  Surreal-ness and dreamlike feelings.  What can possibly weigh in as heavily as tangible fear?  Despair so close you can taste it?

I had a chat with the hubster a week ago regarding all the things that are in full swing, and let me tell you, I'm being swung!  He began to encourage me to truly engage my Creator.  He beckoned me to pray intentional prayers.  Big prayers.  Bold prayers.  Specific prayers.  His kind voice reminded me of a precious Heart that longs to hear my cries, feel my pain, and touch my needs.  And through shaking voice and wet face, I began praying that God would hear my cries!  The aid of the Holy Spirit guided my thoughts and emotions, channeling them toward the One who listens and can do something about it.

There's a certainty of the longing and desire that the Father has for communication with His children.  He is full of love, compassion, peace and mercy, and all we have to do is come.  Draw near.  Pray big.  Pray bold.  Strangely, prayer doesn't seem to hit the top of the to-do list in my Christian walk.  Give me bible studies, give me blogs to write, give me worship songs to sing!  But prayers?

Talking to the Lord?  Talking face-to-face, in a sense, with my God?  Building on the relationship with my Redeemer?  My best Friend??  Why not?  Why does it take a period of darkness to pray for Light?  Why do I wait for despair before I grasp for Hope?  Why  don't I learn that God wants to speak to me and with me in the good times and bad?

Friends, pray.  Pray big.  Pray bold.  Pray!  Just sit with your Master, lean on His shoulder, cry in His lap, and listen to His words.  I don't take advantage of that which Jesus my Christ purchased for me on the cross.  My salvation, yes!  Yes and amen!  But He also TORE THE VEIL that I may have CONSTANT, IMMEDIATE, FOREVER ACCESS to the Holy of Holies!  To the LORD of creation!  To the good, good Father!  I sing about it.  I read about it.  I study about it. 

It's time to pray…

Much love,

Deeds

PS - I'm still working through the "ABC's of Christmas," by Hillary Krippaehne.  The letter 'I' is for "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," and the prompt was to pray to God, asking for peace in a dark time.

He Will Keep You Steady

Psalm 55:22

"Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."

Life is CRAZY! Am I right?! I mean, especially in today's age, we are always multitasking and juggling so many things at once. Today's world has so many demands, appointments, to-dos and so on. Some days we can feel like we are powerful and can conquer the world, and then the next day we could feel like the world and all its demands are completely crushing us under it's weight! But when we feel that way, like we just couldn't possibly take on anymore, or like we are failing at life itself, God is there to help us! He is always there to help us!

Many of us are guilty of trying to take control of our lives, manage every bit and piece of it to fit our specific plan of what and how we think we should be living. But that is so far from the truth. God has a plan for us and our lives and we must follow that plan. And his plan is never more than we can handle. It is when things get really hard and we feel like we are being crushed and can't possibly juggle anymore, that we need to remember we can rely and call on God to keep us steady. He is our rock, he cannot be moved, and he will keep us strong. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." That is one of my favorite bible verses. I repeat it to myself anytime I'm struggling and need a little boast in moral. We can do anything with the Lord in our corner. 

Psalm 55:22 "Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." God's promises are gold! We can hold strong to his word when we feel we are weak and can't do it on our own. One more verse for you to hold on to today. 2 Corinthians 12:9 " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." There are so many places in the bible where we learn that we can trust in the Lord and his power when we feel we are weak. When we feel like that tower we are trying so hard to keep standing is about to come crashing down, he is there for us to tell us, "It's ok! I got this!"

Have a great week everyone!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

Teacup Roses

Itty Bitty Alpha

Just Say Jesus

Script Outline Alpha

Itty Bitty Blossoms 

Even the Stars

"Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For He commanded and they were created. And He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away." Psalm 148:3-6

Recently I was on Youtube and a suggested video popped up in my feed... it was 'So Will I' by Hillsong United. The words in the song are so powerful and moving! I highly recommend giving the song a listen and allow the Father to speak through the song. Once the song was over I pulled out my supplies and got to work documenting this special God moment in my Bible.

I began by using the sketchy star in the 'Skinny Minnie alpha' set stamped in sticky VersaFine ink and embossed with white embossing powder. I stamped the fun sticky note from 'Just say Jesus' onto some scrapbook papers and used the 'Teeny alpha' and words from the same set to stamp on the notes. Before attaching the notes to the page I used a few blue watercolors to create a dark night sky. Once dry I added some simple white stars or dots with my white signo gel pen and a few splashes of gold ink. I love the cute little washi strips added to the corners of the notes, it gave the page so much character. I finished the page with some of the lyrics from the song 'So Will I.' 

I will end this post with the first verse from the song, I pray it touches you heart. 

'And as you speak a hundred billion galaxies are born

In the vapor of you breath the planets form

If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see you heart in everything you made

every burning star a signal fire of grace

If creation sings your praises so will I!'

Hugs and prayers,

Jenn @creativegurl85

Praise God Through It All

 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, 

O Most High, 

proclaiming Your love in the morning 

and your faithfulness at night... 

Psalm 92:1-2

God's Word is replete with the praises of His people even when going through tribulations. All of us can recount times when we were broken with bleeding hearts and yet found we could still feel the loving arms of our God wrapped around us.  One of the reasons we can praise God in the middle of any storm is His faithfulness to us.  Our praises don't emanate from the purity of our hearts, but by the Spirit in us who lifts our eyes away from circumstances to focus on the God who will see us through it all.

I recently heard a song that totally resonated with me and I want to include a link at the end of the post to the song if I can.  The lyrics speak of God's faithfulness and how he is with us through it all when we get it right and when we don't. I hope you'll take a minute to listen if you need to feel God a little closer to your heart today.

Design Details:
I've started designing pages in a small three-ring binder that is my praise book.  I've had it for more than a year and decided I wanted a place where I could journal more and have more design work than I can do in my Bible.  And I thought a praise binder was a perfect place to create using the printables from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  Our printables are a relatively new line and while certainly not limited to Bible journaling they are perfect for that, sized with a Bible page in mind.

We are beginning to branch out and think of lots of ways to support Bible journaling, but my line of printables are unique for several reasons.  You get a ton of ready to print-cut-use images that coordinate with a theme.  But you also get an interactive devotional that takes you to the Word of God and enables you to spend real study time there, meditating on how God is speaking to you to apply the truths of His Word to your life.  The interactive portion takes you into a worshipful, quiet time with God.  In addition to the designs and devotion you also get Bible passage prompts...samples of scriptures where the printables can be used...all following the theme of the printable.  This month's printable, Rain or Shine, includes verses of scripture that encourage our praises through all events in our lives.  But one of the most unique and helpful components of our printables is that the download gives you not only the printable, but the digital files in color AND outline.  You receive all the colored images as JPEGs and PNGs which allows you to resize, flip, layer...create to your hearts content and in a sense create your own printable.  With the outline images you can expand your creativity and personalize the images by coloring or using paper-piecing techniques. Our design team members are showing tons of ways to use our printables and all have done amazing worship-filled projects that will totally inspire you.

All of the elements on these pages are from the printable.  If you have a cutting machine, you can make fast work of creating these die-cut like designs or you can run the printable through with sticker paper.  So the versatility of these is a hugh selling point.  Here I've combined the printables with some of my favorite stamps, all released this month--Just Say Jesus, Teeny Alpha and from last month, Skinny Minnie Alpha, which is quickly becoming a go-to alpha set.

One of the things I like about using my binder (purchased through Illustrated Faith), is the SPACE I have for creating. I've included personal thoughts, scripture, and song lyrics...all things that take me to the heart of worship.  So whether you are creating in  a binder like this, traveler's notebook, junk journals, or your Bible these printable will offer you tons of possibilities.  But scrapbookers and cardmakers are certainly not forgotten.  These are perfect for you too, AND with the digital images provided you can size them for your specific needs. 

Sets Used:

Rain or Shine Printable Bundle

by Diane Noble

3 sheets of print and cut designs, interactive devotional, scripture prompts AND

PNG/JPEG files for personal creations. 

Just Say Jesus by Rebecca Rios

Teeny Alpha Clear Stamp by Korin Sutherland

Skinny Minnie Alpha by Rebecca Rios

Don't forget to listen to this encouraging song by Colton Dixon, Through It All

Bold Prayers

I don't know about you but sometimes I just have weak prayers... You know, the kind that you barely squeak out because you feel some sort of duty to utter them each morning when you wake up. The grace over dinner, or the quickly sent up prayers over your kids when you tuck them into bed at night. The someone is praying... they may or may not believe what they are saying, but you can tell they lack the confidence in an almighty God over the situation which they are praying for. I'm not suggesting that we don't do these I just think there is more to praying than just that don't you? I want to make the devil shutter when I pray.

Now that we understand weak weeny-fied (that's southern for 'wimpy') prayers lets talk about BOLD POWERFUL prayers for a minute and how we can access God with more power, boldness, & confidence. 

Bold Prayers all have 3 things in common...

1. They are prayers that pray the Word of God. We talked about this in a past post. You are now in agreement with God when you pray the Word back to Him. That's POWER.

2. Need to be bigger than yourself. Believe God for something big, something that seems far out there, a dream, a goal, or ability that you could never accomplish on your own. A miracle healing, a supernatural promotion, an impossible obstacle to be removed...you get the idea. When you pray this kind of prayer then it shows God your level of faith and when He answers it, the only explanation is to give Him the glory. That's BOLDNESS.

3. Boldly approach the throne  - Hebrews 4:16 NLT - So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God... That's CONFIDENCE

Now THESE kind of prayers get answers. They are full of power and confidence in the sovereignty of God Almighty. It's time that we stand up and be bold in our faith and by bold I don't mean going all crazy pants. I mean the prayers that scare the enemy and put Heaven on high alert. :)

God is not scared of your audacious prayers. Be bold. Have Confidence. March right up to God and ask Him for what you need. 

1 John 5:14-15 - And we are CONFIDENT that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for. 

Well there ya go... that settles it right? No more wondering IF God still answers prayers. The thing that you must not miss though is the part where it says "whatever you ask that PLEASES HIM". We need to pay attention to that and ask things according to God's will and not our own. If you're like me you often fall into this trap and pray for God to do what you want to see done or move in a way that you see fit. No no. Pray about that which concerns God and pleases Him. Those prayers get answered.

Think about what it is today that you need to have more faith for. What is it that you haven't prayed about because you thought it was TOO BIG or TOO IMPOSSIBLE? Go ahead... I dare you today to be bold and pray desperate powerful prayers and watch God get to work! Report back to me if you do. I wanna celebrate with you answered prayers. 

** Bonus Scripture Ephesians 3:12**

Pray Bold!

Elizabeth

IG @icolorinmybible

Art Tips:

My handpainted bluebonnets were inspired by my friend @messybible and you only need 3 simple things to create them.

1. Acrylic paint

2. Q-tips

3. old empty gift card or credit card

Start by stomping the gift card through a puddle of green paint and use to 'stamp' the stems. Next you use the side of your q-tip and dip it into the dark blue paint. You need it to be on it's side to create and elongated oval-ish shape. Continue filling the bluebonnet up to the top of the stem. I added a hint of purple for depth then light blue and white to finish off looking a bit more realistic. This was very easy, fun, & relaxing. No rhyme or reason just have fun and create some cool abstract bluebonnets. And in case you aren't from the great state of Texas, celebrate with us anyway.  Just kidding, you can use this technique for any color flower you'd like. :)

Since I used my new Interleaved Bible I had plenty of space to add some personal prayer journaling after photographing this page.

I'm loving this new set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps called Just Say Jesus. It's versatile, cute, and has so may possibilities. Grab one for yourself. 

I also used these outline stamps. I love them and that they are easy to cut out so I can stamp them onto any patterned paper or in this case a photo. I now have a custom matching alphabet that coordinates with whatever I create. Viola!