Trust in Him at All Times...

Hi friends,

Our world is looking pretty alarming right now isn't it? Whether it's from a health perspective, economic perspective or relational perspective, things are tough for a lot of people right now. It is so easy to read the news about the spread of the virus and worry about what this means for us, for our families, our jobs or our country.

For me personally I have found it difficult that the college where I have been working and studying for the last three years was closed abruptly for 12 weeks, which meant that I had to leave with no farewell parties or even farewell hugs, because in 12 weeks I am due to have started a new job in a new city. But that requires us selling and buying a house, which at the moment is not exactly easy. There are so many reasons to become anxious about the future and what may happen, and so many emotions to process in the present.

Psalm 62:8 tells us to "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." This phrase "at all times" really struck me as I've been thinking and processing over the last week. Times like this are a real challenge to our faith: can we trust the Lord at all times or just in the good times? Can we trust him when things seems hopeless or when we have no control over the situation we are facing? That is the kind of relationship we are invited to have with our Heavenly Father - one of complete trust, no matter what.

As difficult as this season is, it is also an opportunity to grow in trust in God, and to practice casting our every anxiety upon him (because he cares for us!). Every time fear or worry creeps into our mind, we have the choice to entertain it and meditate on the negatives, or we can choose to fix our minds on the Lord and meditate on his goodness and his power and his faithfulness. It is only by meditating on these things that we can learn to trust him in ALL times.

I created this page in my Journaling Psalter by creating a background with acrylic paints and stencilling a clock image with white paint over the top. The pretty flowers from Lovely Lotus were stamped on watercolour paper, coloured with watercolours, then cut out and glued onto the page. The verse was stamped using a combination of Trust in the Lord, Messy Stamped Alpha and Outline Alpha. I added a dragonfly from Dragonfly Dreams which I embossed on vellum using platinum embossing powder. Here are the sets I used:

May we all seek to trust in the Lord at all times, and may his Holy Spirit guide us through this time and teach us to trust our Father in heaven with every aspect of our present and our future.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Do not grow weary...

Hi friends,

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by the size of a problem that you feel paralysed and useless? Do you freeze and wonder if it's worth doing anything because you can't see it making a difference?

I know I do! Whether it's poverty, climate change, division in the church or even trying to overcome personal weaknesses and sin, it can feel overwhelming and we can be tempted to quit. This feeling is not a new one for Christians, as we can see in Scripture. In 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Paul writes to the church exhorting them not to grow weary as they were doing good (he also writes the same encouragement to the Galatians).

It might not look like we're making much of a difference, but even our small acts of doing good - whether giving to the poor, making ethical shopping choices, choosing to listen with generosity rather than react with opinion, or saying 'no' to something we are tempted to say 'yes' to - all of these small acts of obedience make a difference to someone and they please our Heavenly Father.

I used the lovely new Stamp of the Month, Grateful Heart, on this page, stamping the images on watercolour card then watercolouring and cutting them out. The verse was stamped with a combination of alpha sets: Outline Alpha and School Days Alpha. I had already done some written journaling on this page back when I was using this Bible as a devotional reading Bible, so I decided to stamp around this so it is still visible. Here are the sets I used:

 

Let's not grow weary in doing the good that God has called us to in our own unique situations and circumstances. It makes a difference to others and it blesses God.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Knock Down The Wall...

Happy Friday Everyone!

  I know I'm ready for the weekend, how about you? Fun plans with family and friends, or maybe nothing? Sometimes having no plans is just the best, right?! 

The page I am discussing today is about forgiveness! One of those topics that is much easier said than done, I know.

Ephesians 4:31

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, 

along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 

as God in Christ forgave you."

All of us have at one time or another been "burned" by a significant other, friend, family member, coworker, the list goes on. Whether it was it was a simple and almost petty thing that you just can't seem to look past, or something so awful that you don't think anyone could forgive someone who would do such a thing. The act of forgiving someone is not always easy. 

Let's just be completely honest here. It is SO much easier sometimes to put up a wall! Build a wall around yourself and your heart so that no one can get close enough to hurt you again. And that wall may do a great job of protecting you... for a while... and then you'll probably start to feel a little lonely, or emotionally weighed down from it. Overtime, holding a grunge against someone really wears down on your soul! I know in the past I have held grudges against a couple people that really hurt me, and I vowed I would never let someone hurt me that way again. It wasn't until years later that I realized holding that grudge and not forgiving them wasn't affecting them AT ALL. Honestly, I don't think they even noticed! So I was going through life holding this weight of what happened in the past for absolutely no reason. I was only allowing the past to continue to weigh me down and hurt me.

Once I started praying about it and really focusing on letting go and forgiving them, such a weight was lifted off of me. Jesus is the ultimate example of forgiveness. He paid the ultimate price for all of our sins, when he did absolutely NOTHING wrong. He forgave us of all our sins! If he was able to forgive all of us for all of the sins we committed and ever WOULD commit, then how can we not forgive others just as he did?! So break down that wall you have built around your heart, and let others in. Forgive those that have hurt you and don't let them hold you back from happiness. 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

Texture Tiles 2

Mini Grunge Type Alpha

Let's Do This

Outline Alpha

Close to God

Close To God

Hey guys!  Deeds here, just sharing a bit of my "creative worship" heart with you!
Also, have you SEEN the new release from Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps for the month of June??  It's so precious, especially since this month gives me the chance to work with the male version of May's release, "girl power." YIPPEE!🙌

Pictured: Brotherly Love, Outline Script Alpha,
& Texture Tile 2 Stamps.

"Brotherly Love" is quite versatile, as you've probably seen; the team has been posting on IG and Facebook.  So many things are available with this stamp set, and the others that came out June 1st!!  Today, I'm using "BrotherlyLove," "Texture Tile 2," & "Outline Script Alpha," from the June release, as well as "Skinny Caps Alpha," and the "Bitty Minnie Alpha," set from May.  

I stamped the distress inks onto a stamp block and spritzed
it with a bit of water to loosen up the pigment to a
watercolor consistency.

I did this technique with several colors:
Broken China and Scattered Straw.

The process for this page was done using primarily distress inks (and oxides) to get the faded backdrop.  Then I used a texture tile from this month to give it depth and interest.  LOVE LOVE LOVE the texture tiles from June!  They're so beautiful and rich with potential!

 - - - - - -

As I was finishing up my studies in Deuteronomy, I did a "happy/sad dance."  This book was incredibly helpful as I processed the character of God and His glory here in the beginning stages of Israel's history.  So much can be gleaned; so much was relatable as I pored over all the different relationships here.  

Specifically, I was fond of Moses' relationship with God. 
Moses was a very special individual of the Bible.  From the time Moses is born, to the time he dies, the Bible records that God was with him.  Always with him.  Close to him.  Guiding him.  Using him.  Instructing him.  Protecting him.  Disciplining him.  Associating with him.  There was definitely a sweet bond between God and Moses.  Moses took great care, though, to be so in-tuned with God and God's plan.
Having God's direct attention anyway is something that I can't really believe.  I can't think about how a higher Being like Him would be so interested in humanity.  But for sake of the argument, let's just say that God is too high, too big, too lofty, too thoughtful for us; there's no way possible for us to truly understand this type of "high," or this kind of God.  

What I DO understand is that closeness to God is a beautiful, wonderful and POSSIBLE thing through Jesus Christ!

We are absolutely, explicitly beckoned by this Big and Awesome God to join Him in intimacy.  He created man in His own image that we could reflect Him and His glory to the rest of the world.  It's not because we're something so great and fantastic.  No way.  In fact, however close Moses got to God, he was still unable to get close enough to God's true and magnificent glory.  Why?  Because Moses was a flawed and tainted with sin.  He still messed up.  He still stumbled.  He still defied the Almighty, not just once but time and time again.  However, God still reaches down to faulty humanity, uses faulty humanity, and shows His glory through faulty humanity.  God does all for His glory, and like the text says, He even buries people for His glory. 

The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab,

but to this day no one knows the exact place. - Deut. 34:6

I long for this type of intimacy with God.  The kind where God walks with me through every step of my life, holding me through the tough waters, carrying me through the deserts, laying me to rest with His tender hand.  Beautiful, awesome God.  Wonderful, caring God.  Amen.

Much love,  💙💛💚

 - Deeds

IG @mrcfuldeeds2010
Youtube mrcfuldeeds

Keep Each Other Believing!

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” 

that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  Hebrews 13:3

I listened to a small audio sermon today.  Dr. Vernon McGee sure doesn't mince words.  He comes straight to the point about most doctrinal issues and issues of the heart.
Well, today as he called me "friend" there on the old radio broadcast, my heart was broken.  Oi…I like when my heart is "touched" or "moved," but I rarely like to have it broken.  Who knew that an oldie like McGee could send convicting messages into the future!?
 

This portion of scripture is not just about being a "friend" to another.  It's not mainly about coming together as a church body and worshiping the Lord on a given Sunday.  It's not about visiting a local church every Easter and Christmas service.  It's not about attending a Ladies' Tea event once a year and coming away with a powerful sense of femininity.  These types of things are "touching," but something goes a bit deeper here: rest for the human soul.

Using distress inks to
add to the background

As a part of the team of Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps, I am given this amazing chance to "vocalize" my love for Jesus, and speak of His movement in my life.  I get to use the blog as a platform to help others in their creative journey!  I love this; I feel this is a good part of my ministry!
As a part of the family of Christ, though, I'm given an even more amazing opportunity to help my sisters (and brothers, if they're reading) to encounter rest and joy in Jesus everyday, all day long! 

Prepping a background
with distress inks
and my stamping block

It's my turn to call you "friend."  And friend, as a Christian, if you are not able to find the "rest" as is promised to you once you find Jesus, the Bible says there's a heart issue of unbelief.  Unbelief of the good news that you have heard of Jesus' death and resurrection for you; unbelief of what God is capable of doing with you and for you in your life; unbelief that regardless of what you have done, Christ is your sin covering, your Mediator, your Redeemer.  Unbelief that now, as a follower of the One who died to bring you rest, you cannot live in sin. 

What does this mean for us?  Well, if you know someone who is living in sin (adultery, stealing, cheating, lying, etc.), you have a responsibility to "exhort" her/him to believe what God has done.  There is no way she/he can have a contented life or incur God's blessing while living a life of blatant disobedience.  Help them, friend!  Exhort this person - TODAY - to turn away from this hardness of heart that keeps her/him from entering the "promised land!"  

If you are the someone living in unbelief, and you are hiding in your sin, I want to exhort you, "while it is called 'today,'" to hear God's voice calling you out of your sinful lifestyle.  There is a reason why God provides the "body" of believers; we NEED others to help us, lift us up, pull us away, bring us back to the "belief" of Christ and the gospel!  Surround yourself with people that will help you pray, listen to God's voice, and be accountable! 

Today, I encourage you to face that sister-in-Christ about her sin problem.  Today, I encourage you to bless a sister-in-Christ with the chance to pray for you about your sin problem. We need to keep each other believing!  The bible says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  Ecclesiastes 4:12

We are meant to help each other, defend each other, stand together!

Much Love,

Deeds

IG: @mrcfuldeeds2010
Youtube: mrcfuldeeds

This little bundle of goodness is a promo for upcoming "goodies" 

(stamps with all the ladies you see here!!).  YAY!!

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!

Teach Me

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! 

Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! - Psalm 143:10

It's always a struggle to wake up in the morning.  Always - well, since I started having babies.  I used to be able to literally JUMP out of bed to the smell of coffee in my kitchen.  What time?  5:30AM!!!  Yes, I was an early bird, ready for coffee and bible time, and it was as clockwork as the rest of my day.  No pain.  No struggle.  The beckoning of the coffee pot as it "puttered" the last of the drops into the carafe was much stronger than my desire to hit the snooze button one...more...time...

Not anymore.  

Recently, a 4th baby boy was born to us.  Victor.  He is a sweetheart!  However, no amount of sweetness, cuteness, or mild-temperedness makes being a new mom any easier; and when it comes to quiet time at 5:30 in the morning, no amount of coffee can bring the "dead to life."  Not for this mom.
So what do we do when mornings aren't working out for intense bible study like we'd originally hoped?  How do we get to that place where we can say, "Bring it on, Monday," and know we've equipped ourselves with the Armor of God?
Listen up: God knows we are weak, and He shows us grace in the mornings and throughout the day. He knows the rough and tough nighttime routines that drain the flesh, and the heart's desire to still seek him in the Spirit.  He shows grace just by allowing us to catch up on rest, without which, if you're a mom like me, would manifest itself as the "ugly." 
He shows grace when we can't get to that bible study first thing, and grace by giving us little snippets of Himself in other ways, like an end-table devotional, or the verse of the day or a quick mini sermon  on your phone.  These may not be in-depth, per se, but they are beneficial and can sometimes be exactly what you needed to make it through today. 
The verse above was such a grace.  I woke up late, one eye unwilling to open, the other unable to focus; and after a few minutes and some cold water, I glanced at the phone and saw it: EXACTLY what I needed!  It's exactly what I carried with me through the day, and it's something that I think all moms should have tacked somewhere.  

So I "tacked' it in my bible with the stamp of the month for March, "Texture Tiles 1," and this adorable alpha stamp called, "Outline Alpha." With a couple different colors, I brought a nice and soft background in behind this graphic of penguins.  Pretty easy peasy, and so fun. :D

I love this digi-stamp from the Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps collection.  The longing look of baby penguin to mama penguin rang something tender when I saw it.  Now it's something to remind me of how I feel when I'm so incredibly weak and I look longingly - desperately - at my God for help and instruction.  'Cuz being a mom is hard!  I constantly need the Father's guidance and without Him, I'm the Momster that I try to avoid!
Oh... grace.  God's gracious Spirit.  Wonderful grace of Jesus...

x  x  x  x

Dear Lord, will you TEACH ME!  Lord, I want to do Your will, and Your will alone.  My will doesn't hack it, and it certainly has no place in this tired mind.  Lord, I need Your gracious Spirit again today, even now, and pray that You will plant my feet on level ground.  You are my God.  YOU are my God, and YOUR will is always best!
Y'all, Psalm 143:10 is precious and could potentially stir up the soul to do wonderful things you weren't aware you were capable of, because it's God-breathed.
God breathes life; God gives life; God IS life, and we can trust Him to do amazing things through His word, even if it's on your phone app. 
Much love,
_Deeds_
IG: @mrcfuldeeds2010

These are amazing!  Hope you're able to get your hands on them!

Jesus Will Come!

Dear Friends-

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return. He will return for His church: 
"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

And the Bible tells of Jesus' second coming where He will ultimately defeat Satan:

“Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." Matthew 24:29-30

When Jesus comes for the church, only the church will hear Him and respond to Him. (This is called the rapture.) There will be a time of tribulation for the whole world. And, when He comes at His second coming, everyone will know. He won't come secretly! There will be no question of who He is. 

As believers, we can look joyfully to the future even living in this chaotic world full of ugliness. Jesus is coming. He is our hope. Focus on Him!

When my daughters were taught about these passages at ages 4 & 5, they both said cute things in regard to how they interpreted the passages in the young-child minds. That's what I journaled on each of these pages- their quotes. And I used many alpha stamp sets. I thought this post would be a great post to highlight the alpha sets that Sweet n Sassy has. They have a great selection of alphas and some are on sale right now! For anyone who doesn't hand-letter or just wants to have a quick option to hand-lettering, alpha stamps are perfect. I use mine all the time! I used the following sets for each page: 

 My Friend, Send Me, Chunky Alpha, Rebecca Script, Sing Loud, Outline Alpha, Mini Grunge Type Alpha. On this page I also used watercolor crayons, stickers, and glitter glue.

 

These 2 alpha sets were used on each page.

Shake It Off Caps Alpha, Mini Grunge Type Alpha, Outline Alpha, Skinny Caps Alpha, All Your Heart. On this page, I also used watercolor crayons, and a white Sharpie pen.

 
Hope in Him, my friends! Have a blessed week. Andrea