Do not quarrel on the way...

Hi friends,

I was reading through Genesis a while ago and noticed a little detail I hadn't really seen before in the story of Joseph. After he had revealed his identity to his brothers in Egypt (Gen 45), he tells them to go back to Canaan and bring his father to dwell in the Egypt. Joseph and Pharaoh supply the brothers with lots of goods for the journey, and as Joseph sends them on their way is parting words are, "do not quarrel on the way."

This got my attention for two reasons. First, it could be that Joseph is having a little dig at them because of their previous terrible behaviour toward him, when they wanted to kill him but decided instead to sell him into slavery. He knows their tendency toward jealousy and strife and so issues this reminder that they need to refrain from quarrelling as they travel back home. The second reason it struck me was because of how easy it is to quarrel on a journey! Anyone else had arguments with their spouse on a car journey (maybe over directions...!)? Anyone have to mediate in arguments between children? There is something about being on a journey - maybe it's the confined space, the boredom, or the unique challenges of new environments or routes - that increases the likelihood of quarrelling!

When I was creating this page, I started thinking about the fact that as Christians, we are on a journey over the whole of our lives. This is sometimes called a pilgrimage, where we are journeying to our home with Jesus. There is much language in the Bible that supports this view. This made me think about our relationships with one another as Christians on this journey. As I look around the Church in the world today, I see a lot of quarrelling. Social media seems to be rife with nit-picking of doctrine and denouncing of words and practice at the moment. We haven't adopted this wise advice from Joseph to his brothers not to quarrel as we journey together, and it is making the journey more difficult as a result.

I created this page by stamping the caravan from Happy Camper onto the page, then created the background with watercolours. These hills reminded me of the beautiful Lancashire hills that we can see from our new home that we moved to recently. The text was stamped using a combination of Bold & Outline Caps Alpha, Love Ya Like a Sister Alpha and Love Your Neighbor (which I also used to stamp the tree and clouds).

Let's commit to listening to the wisdom of Joseph (which is ultimately the wisdom of God). Let's not quarrel with one another one our journey of faith together. Let's encourage one another, build each other up, challenge and correct one another where needed, but let's not quarrel.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

What do you want?

Hi friends,

I recently noticed this question that Jesus asks the blind beggar who cries out from the roadside for his attention: "What do you want me to do for you?"

We might think that this is a redundant question to ask - after all, the man is obviously blind and begging! It seems obvious that this man needed to see. But Jesus doesn't just presume or assume - he asks. He responds to this man's plea for mercy by giving him the dignity of asking for what he really needed. He could have asked for money (after all, that is what he was begging every passer-by for as he sat by the roadside) but because he recognised who Jesus was, he asked for something much more: "Lord, I want to see."

Jesus responded immediately with a healing word, and the man could see.

This encounter and miracle is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and while I journaled this page in the Luke 18 passage, when I was studying the story I noticed something interesting in the Mark 10 account. Mark places this story directly after the incident when James and John approach Jesus and say "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Jesus replies to them with the same question that he asks the blind man: "what do you want me to do for you?"

Their response is a self-promoting, self-interested one: they want to sit either side of Jesus in his glory (they want the best seats, the most power and glory available). Jesus' response is to point them to the true way of following him: suffering and sacrifice. I find it so interesting that Jesus asks this same question in two different scenarios, placed side-by-side. When he asks it of his disciples they respond with a self-centred demand. When he asks it of a blind beggar, he pleads for sight. One request was in line with the will of God's kingdom, the other one wasn't. This made me think about the way we approach God in prayer. As our mediator, Jesus may well be asking us: "What would you like me to do for you?" Our response demonstrates how much our hearts are in line with his kingdom. Are we asking for things based on a desire for self-promotion, wealth and ease? Or are we asking for the blind to see, for the captive to be set free, for mercy to be given to those who so desperately need it? What a challenge to our prayer life!

I created the background of this page with left-over acrylic paints from another page I did (I needed to cover some bleed-through on this page). The poinsettia from Poinsettia Greetings was stamped on watercolour card and embossed with gold, then cut out and watercoloured. I used a combination of Love Ya Like a Sister Alpha, Healer of my Heart and His Love as well as some alpha stickers to create the verse. I embossed the word Jesus in gold to tie in with the embossed poinsettia.

Let's be encouraged by Jesus' question: "what do you want me to do for you?" and let's be challenged in answering that we ask for those things that are in line with God's heart and his kingdom.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Restoration

Stay with God

Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? 

They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return. Jeremiah 8:5

Dear Friends,

This question in Jeremiah 8:5 was asked by God about the people of Judah. They knew God, and yet, they fell into idolatry and turned away from Him. Why would they do that?

But more importantly, why do I do that? I know God too. And yet, I backslide. I turn away from Him. Over and over again. It would be a very sad story except that we're talking about our God. He waited for Judah to return. And He waits for me to return too. With open arms. I am forgiven in Christ. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for waiting for me. Thank You for being faithful even though I am not.

For the page, I used the following Sweet n Sassy Stamps: Holiday Hugs & Love Ya Like a Sister Alpha.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

The Lord is My Portion

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26 (ESV)

I am in a season of wait. Actually, most of us could probably say that we are in seasons of wait. Life with Jesus is always an adventure and it is never dull. He doesn't fulfill one promise and then thats it. No, God is constantly working in us and through us. He has wonderful plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and each promise leads to another, and another, till our ultimate promise, eternity in Heaven, is fulfilled. 

I will admit to you that I am not the most patient person. Perhaps this is why my season of wait is so long, God is teaching me patience. I am learning, and God so lovingly never gives up on me, even when I want to give up on him. There are days where I question everything (I'm also an over-thinker) and I wonder if I'm really on the path God wants me on. There have been times where I have wondered, "What am I doing wrong? What do I need to fix? What is holding up this promise?" I have wondered, like the writer of Psalm 73, why there are people who do not follow God and seemingly have everything. 

Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 

All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 

For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. 

Psalm 73:12-14 (ESV)

Have you ever felt that way? The enemy will creep up and start whispering these lies. I could type out the entire Psalm, but I encourage you to go read it for yourself. Read and see what the Psalmist says and realizes. It is SO.GOOD. God alone is my portion. He fulfills every desire and need that I could ever have. 

For this bible entry, I used the "Scribble Flowers" stamps that will be released tomorrow, August 5th! So be on the lookout! I love, love, love, florals and these were perfect to use for my cascading flowers. Also, the alpha stamp is "Love Ya Like a Sister." Below is a close up of the "Scribble Flowers." 

Happy Thursday, friends! 

Lynzee :)

Jesus Loves Me

How is it that one negative can outweigh so many positives? Isn't that human nature? To take the small, not-worth-another-thought circumstances and turn them into something like a tsunami in our minds? Negative words of others can be devastating and lead us to thoughts of doubt and fear - and feelings of being unloved. We forget about the positives - or at least diminish their worth.

In those times (and some weeks it is more often than not), Jesus gives us a sense of hope and peace. An unshakeable connection. We can stand firm knowing that there is One who loves us no matter what - and nothing can separate us from that Love. Jesus defends us and stands with us no matter what others may say.

I think of what He went through -- He knew what others were saying about Him, even more than I do about what others say about me. He put the words in proper perspective. As the Psalmist says:
By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?  ~ Psalm 56:4 AMP

So this week I was meditating and reading in Romans 8, and needed to bring out the most important words of all -- to make a very important positive much more prominent in my mind than all the negative things that were being said. Through many tears, and cries out to my God, this is all I needed: Jesus loves me. This I know.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ~ Romans 8:31-34 ESV

Jesus loves you too.

Stamps used: Seek Him, Love Ya Like A Sister Alpha, His Name

For We Walk By Faith - by Audrey

Hello there!  Audrey here!  Today I have a Bible Journaling page to share with you!  I recently started my Bible Journaling journey, and I am thrilled to see so many products hitting the market with Bible Journaling in mind!  I just love that the Creative Worship line is filled with such a variety of designs!  My favorite alphabet set is part of the He is Risen Bible Journaling Kit. The "Love Ya Like a Sister" alpha is the perfect size for bible margins, and it's fun, whimsical style is perfect for a variety of themes!

I chose to journal 2 Corinthians 5:7 - "for we walk by faith, not by sight".  I started off by scraping several colors of heavy body acrylic paint on to my page with an old credit card.  After the paint was dry, I stamped the verse with Versafine Onyx Black ink.  It required A LOT of drying time, even using a heat tool.  The ink was sitting on top of the acrylic paint, and because of that, it stayed wet longer.  (Don't look too closely as my little fingerprint smudges *wink*).    I added a few cardstock stickers, and some hand drawn doodles to finish off my page.

Here you can see how I chose to highlight the verse I was journaling.  A swipe of acrylic paint really draws the eye to the bottom of the page.

That's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by! :)