When I Rise Give Me Jesus.... and Java!

 Hey everyone! I'm Stephanie Gammon, a new member of the Creative Worship Creative Team and I am so excited to be here with you guys!! I'll be completely honest with you all, this is my first EVER blog post... period... so hang in there with me as I figure this all out 😊.

Psalm 63:1 

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. " 

I'm going to be completely honest with you guys again. Before I discovered bible journaling, hardly ever did I open my bible. Sad, I know. I carried it to church when we would go, but the time in between those visits.....it sat on my nightstand.....collecting dust 😔. But I am so happy and proud to say that after discovering bible journaling I have a renewed "thirst" for the Lord and scripture. I long to be in his word in some form every single day! And that is a blessing! Now, I don't have time to journal every single day, let's be real, I have two small kids at home! But what I have started doing is setting my alarm to wake up in the morning before my kids, and I start my day with God's word and a cup of coffee! That one small change has made a drastic difference in my life! I find I have a renewed attitude and disposition than if I was to just jump out of bed and hit the ground running when my kids wake me up. If I go a few days sleeping in, pushing my reading or journaling off till later because I'm "just too busy today" I find it's just as Psalm 63:1 says, "...I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you...". If you make that time for Him, each day, you will see the difference it makes when you give a part of your morning to the Lord, start it with Him, and base it around Him! 

For this page I used the newly released In The Morning stamp. This stamp is so versatile you can use it in so many ways! But for me, I actually have a teal mug with this exact phrase on it! I hand drew the books and the mug, used my awesome stamp, and then colored everything in with Prismacolor pencils. I also used left over coffee to create some coffee rings and splatters to "stain" the page. What kind of fun things can you come up with for this stamp?! Be sure to share it with us on the Creative Worship Bible Journaling Facebook Page!!

Thanks for taking to time to stop by the blog and read my first post!! I hope you all have an amazing day!

xoxo,

Stephanie

Why I Sing for Joy!

"...my mouth will praise you with joyful lips

when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.  

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:5-8

Think back to something God has done...something that would not have happened had it not been for his intervention, guidance, presence or power.  We can name many instances, can we not?  Psalm 63 is one of my favorite, and there are actually several portions of it that could be highlighted.  It is so rich! But I've chosen these verses for the joy they bring as I meditate upon them remembering God's goodness and many, many mercies toward me.  

What a wonderful place to abide...in the shadow of God's wings...under his protective and watchful eye, close to his heart.  That alone is great reason to be joyful.  As believers we are blessed with this close position to God through his grace alone.  He has invited us to be in relationship and the benefits of that relationship are like no other.  No doubt we can recount story after story of when he was our help.  Once we trust in God's son, Jesus, we desire a close, abiding relationship...we literally CLING to Jesus.  

During many nights I could feel his right hand holding me close, holding me tightly, reassuring...steady...strong.  Who wouldn't cling to that, right?  God often wakes me in the "watches of the night" to pray for someone, to commune with him, to search his Word for wisdom and help.  I feel especially close to him at night.  I know he watches over me, protects me, and prepares the day in front of me so I will see him working on my behalf. 

One of the many reasons I sing for joy, is that I know my God defends me, fights for me.  I know there have been numerous times the enemy would creep into my night seeking to frighten, discourage, and bring despair.  But God fought for me.  There have been times in my life when people...people whose hearts were bent toward evil and destruction came against me.  I LOVE the passage in Psalm 64 on the facing page.  Here David describes enemies coming against him, setting traps of ambush, shooting arrows with bitter lies and destructive words.  I've known people like this.  Being in full-time ministry places you in enemy territory many times.  People will gnash their teeth against those proclaiming the gospel and reaching the lost for Christ.  My husband, a pastor, and I have experienced warfare many times.  But God has come to our defense in every single instance.  We see him dealing with those who come against us.  We don't have to do a thing but trust in him.  What a cause for joy!  

I pray that you find shelter under the wing of the Most High God, that you find many reasons to remember and celebrate with joy the times he has come to your aid, upheld you with his right hand.  Knowing he has been there for us, faithfully providing and protecting, gives us full assurance he will ALWAYS be there for us.  And that indeed is a reason to sing for joy!

Sets Used: 

His Wings

       

                                          His Name                                     Note This