Did God make a mistake?

"No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:37-39

It's been almost five years to the day since we got the call that a certain little 8-year old boy needed a new foster home. We were prepared for the call, we had started the licensing process and met him and his current foster family for the first time a few weeks prior. My husband and I talked it over and prayed about it and, as I was praying, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge my heart with this verse: "whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do to Me" (Matt 25:40). I knew in my heart that Dakota was supposed to come to our home (how he came into our life is a story for another day 😉), so we notified the case worker, and Dakota moved into our home on October 30, 2016. 

That day began the long road of fostering - the supervised parenting visits, the doctor's visits, the therapy visits, the unannounced home inspections, the case worker meetings, the trainings, the list goes on. The goal of fostering is always reconciliation with the birth parent. The goal was for this sweet boy to go back to a safe and loving home with his birth mom. He lived every day with the expectation that he was going home, and we had to have multiple conversations explaining why it just wasn't safe for him to do so. It was heartbreaking for him, and for us.  

Dakota's half siblings were in different foster homes at that time, and one morning during a parent visit, the other foster moms and I met for coffee. We were six months into our journey and I was so tired, so discouraged, so defeated. I had been certain this is the path God had called us down, but it was so hard. As I sat and talked with the other, more seasoned foster moms, I shared how overwhelmed I was with everything and the truth just kind of slipped out - 

"I know this is what God wanted us to do, but I think God made a mistake." 

There, I'd finally said out loud what I'd been thinking. Surely God made a mistake. Surely there was a family better equipped for this fostering process. Surely there was a better mom than me somewhere in this county. Surely this wasn't supposed to be so hard. 

 

Once I uttered the words out loud, I knew I had a big problem. In my finite thinking, God wouldn't call me to do a hard thing. If He called me to do something, He would make it easy for me to do. He would give smooth sailing to a sweet family ending, all wrapped up in a pretty, little bow. Reality is much different. Reality is hard. Reality is acknowledging that following God's leading isn't always pretty.

I wish I could tell you that I surrendered my way of thinking right there and that was the end of it, but that's just not the case. I went to God over and over and over again, praying for His wisdom, His grace, His kindness, His mercy. There is nothing like being a foster parent to highlight all of your shortcoming as a parent. I knew if I was going to do what He had called us to do, I needed His guidance every step of the way. I had to daily acknowledge that God brought our family together for a reason and He makes no mistakes. 

After two years in foster care, Dakota was adopted into our family in May 2018. We were surrounded by all friends, family, coworkers, church family, and all his 4th grade classmates (class field trip to the courthouse!). More importantly, Dakota accepted Christ as his Savior and was adopted into the family of God that same year. 💙

If you've ever followed God's leading and realized it was so much harder than you could have ever anticipated, I hope to encourage you with these truths from God's Word. 

"This God - his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." - Psalm 18:30

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and thoughts higher than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

"God is not man, that he should lie, or son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and he will not do it? Or has he spoken, and he will not fulfill it?" - Number 23:19

You may not understand His leading, you may feel defeated and discouraged, as I did - but you can always rest in the promises and the goodness of God. God makes no mistakes.

Page Details

I created this page in my ESV Scripture Journal using Distress Inks as the background, then stamped the rest of the background and title using the following stamp sets: Berry Branch Backgroun, Typewriter Text Background, Typewriter Blocks Alpha, Rebecca Script Alpha, All in All, and Faith Wordfetti Too. 

  

  

I have a handy little Sizzix Sidekick die machine and have slowly been adding to my die collection. These Mini Tag Dies are perfect for my little machine and for creating teeny tags, such as the That's Love tag in this page. 

Much love in Christ, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy

Wildly loved

Hello all! It's summer here in Iowa and as you read this I am returning from a week long vacation. Summer time can be really hard on my creative mojo...so I picked up my acrylic paints and tried a few techniques I tend to forget about. It was such a fun breath of fresh air, to be spontaneous, and different. I hope you enjoy...

This page started with the acrylic paints. I used a credit/ gift card to squish the paint on around the page in broad strokes. Then while my paint was drying I stamped the hymn word art stamp in three colors on to plain white cardstock. I really wanted the wording to pop so I mounted it on pink cardstock that I actually repurposed from my mothers day card. Side note...I am so guilty of cutting up cards I get and using them in my Bible or other crafty adventures....they are sooo pretty I hate throwing them away. Ok after I mounted the stamped image I used puffy foam tape to pop it up even ever so slightly more. The big bold title I found in my stash from a print and pray printed on clear sticker paper. Finally comes my favorite part all the little fun details....the puffy hearts, washi tape, tabs, wordfetti and art marks created using my markers.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:37-39

I have so enjoyed looking up all the hymns in this stamp set and really digging into the words, meaning and scripture behind the words! This song is no exception. The lyrics made me really pause and think about how much my Father God truly loves me. He loves me so much that nothing...absolutely nothing on heaven or on earth can keep me from his wild love. Wow! I know I have read that passage of scripture tons of times but do I really sit and dwell on the magnitude of those words? Summer can be a crazy time for many of us, but if you can steal away a few precious moments read, reread and read again....let the words soak in and penetrate your heart. Let God illuminate truths and fill you with joy! I want to leave you with a few lyrics from this hymn...you can go listen to it Here if you like.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus vast, unmeasured, boundless, free! 

Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me! 

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love 

Leading onward, leading homeward to thy glorious rest above! 

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus spread His praise from shore to shore! 

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore! 

How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own; 

How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne! 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best! 

'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'tis a haven sweet of rest! 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me; 

And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee! 

Love and prayers,
Jenn @creativegurl85

Freedom in Christ

Hello dear friends!  Big waves, and bigger hugs!  ✋😘

WELCOME!!!

I'm glad you're here, and I hope you'll hang out for a bit.  If you peruse the Sweet n Sassy Stamps and Creative Worship blogs for a while, you'll find a plethora (yes, I DID use that word 🤣) of pages for inspiration; but, you'll also find heart and transparency in the ladies here.  

We look forward to ministering to you this way!

Today, I'm working on a page that means a whole bunch to me.  It has done so for the last few months.  

I used this section of the Word, here in Romans, to prepare for the retreat in Savannah, Georgia back in April, and as I engaged with the meaning behind chapter 8 vv. 14-16, God spoke volumes to me.  When He does that, it's hard not to listen.  It's even hard to do a page and just move on.  It's hard to push on to other things when the Holy Spirit meets you, louder and more obvious than ever.  

Yeah, it was THAT loud.

When speaking about our freedoms in Christ, a lot of times we issue the idea to the shackles we wear:

Fear.

Anxiety.

Depression.

Anger.

Addiction.

Guilt.

And while these are ALL things that the Holy Spirit has wonderfully disentangled us from, I have found it difficult at times to remain "free;" as free as Christ paid to make me.  I forget something incredibly important as I struggle to abide in His love and grace, rather than the yoke of bondage that once held me captive: I am His daughter.  I am a daughter of God.  A child, precious in His sight and delicate in His arms.

Romans 8:14-16 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; rather you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father! The Spirit itself testifies with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

There are so many truth bombs of this passage; even more so are the alternate scriptures provided in the Word of God to lift up, confirm and bolster this very idea: IF IN CHRIST, WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES, but CHILDREN!

So what I'm going to do is just put in front of you some good ol' hearty "take-home" love from the Father Himself, straight from His mouth, directly from His heart.  Are you ready?  Here we go…

Firstly, what does it mean to be a child of God?

Adopted:

• Gal. 3:26 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
• John 1:12-13 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
• Gal. 4:5-6 “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
• Eph. 1:4-5 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”
• Rom. 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Born of/Led by the Spirit:

• John 3:3,6 ‘Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God...That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”’
• 1 John 5:1,4 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him...For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
• Rom. 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Heirs:

• Gal. 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
• Gal. 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
• Eph. 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Whew!  

Now, what does it look like to be a child of God?  (These are some of my most favorite of passages.)

Not a Slave:

• Gal. 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
• 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

Confident Assurance:

• Eph. 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
• 1 Peter 1:4-5 “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
• 2 Cor. 1:22 “and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
• Heb. 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  LOVE THIS!

Not alone:

• Heb. 2:17-18 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
• Heb. 13:5-6 ‘he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”’

I realize, this is a lot.  That's why it's in a blogpost, but I do want to share with you that were it not for the powerful truths we find in scripture, and MORE THAN ENOUGH scripture to back up scriptural truths, it may be hard for some to take seriously what God says about them.  As children, what GOD says about us is most important; most blessed; most needed; most effective; most productive, and if you read these beautiful statements from your Daddy, He has promised they will make their mark in your life and return to Him having done a work in you!!

This is huge!  This is power!  We who are in our Savior, the Christ, are free to be children of the One true God.  The only Begotten of the Father has granted us complete assurance and access to Him who sits on the mighty throne of heaven!

Such love! Such grace!  So amazing!

Much love,

Deeds

If you're interested in nabbing some of these beautiful stamps, visit my affiliate link here, and please please tag me if you do a journaling entry in Romans 8, or anywhere else you find to claim your freedoms!!  I would love to see how the Lord spoke to you! 

IG: @mercies_journaled

FB: Deirdre Cason

Stamps used are "Freedom in Christ," and "Texture Tiles 2."
I love them both!!