Cord of Hope

Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. Joshua 2:18

Hi Friends!

I hope y'all had a blessed Thanksgiving, telling the Lord how grateful you are to Him. Believers share something we can all thank God for- HOPE. This world is not a place that instills hope. In fact, it's often the opposite of hope. But because believers know Jesus as our Savior, our hope is in Him- not anything or anyone in the world. So, our hope is sure. The definition of hope is "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen" or "a feeling of trust." In Hebrew, the word for hope is "tikvah." It means expectation, but it also means cord or rope, with the root word meaning to bind or wait for/upon. 

In Joshua 2:18, tikvah is used and translated "cord." Joshua had sent 2 spies to Jericho to check things out. They went to Rahab's house, and she protected them when the king of Jericho came after the 2 spies. Rahab told them that she, and all the people in Jericho, had heard all that God had done for the Israelites and it scared them. They were probably feeling a bit hopeless. Rahab asked the spies to promise that when Jericho was conquered, that she and her family would be spared. They told her to tie a scarlet cord (tikvah) in the window, and she and her family would indeed be spared. In this story, the scarlet cord was a literal cord. But it also illustrates what hope looks like. The cord was Rahab's only guarantee that she and her family would be saved. But, she had to wait for the realization of the spies' promise. Rahab didn't have a personal relationship with God at that time, but she hoped in Him and knew her physical salvation was tied to trusting in Him. 

How do we stay hopeful when things seem so dismal? How do we wait and wait and wait? God is the answer, of course! We must focus on Him and be in an active relationship with Him. When we are connected to God, it's like we are clinging to a very strong rope. Keep your hope in Him, my friends. And cling to Him as you would a scarlet cord hanging out a window.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Peace Be Still, Texture Tiles 2, Skinny Caps, Teeny Alpha, and Mini Grunge Alpha. I stamped the cord, masked it, and stamped the bricks. I lightly watercolored the bricks, and then stamped the words.

I based this post on information I found in an article by Dori Halbert, refugecounseling.com.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Where Can I Run From Your Love

Read Psalm 139 here.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?

8 

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

Good morning
from yours truly!
I've been seriously considering just how fortunate I am that there's a platform for me to share - what a grace to be able to share openly, the love, faithfulness, and mercies of our God!  Simply amazing!

This blog post won't be like others, though it will still come from a heart that seeks the Lord and His strength, day by day.  Of that, I am certain.  I've had a somewhat miserable, and definitely difficult season these past couple of months.  I suppose it hasn't been weeded out of me, this desire to control all situations and lives in my care.  I suppose Jesus is still working on me, my heart and all the deep, underlying issues that remain.
My daily prayer is that one day soon, I will be able to face hardship without feigned faith, with unfettered hope, armed with the sword of His truth.  The most common place in which I typically find myself is in the valley, wishing for the peak.  I know I'm not the only one.  I think we all fight the urge to long for better, comfortable, and easy.  I understand fully however that until glory, we are in the thick of the earth's corruption, powers of the air, and spiritual battles for lost souls.  Which is why I'm so thankful for the comradeship of the Holy Spirit, and the companion of His Word.  I have Jesus Christ to thank for saving my soul, and Him alone to thank for the Helper He has so generously given.  I desperately need Him!

This introduction is a preface for the outstanding and timely effects of God's presence.  His movement in my heart as He guides the trajectory of my day, is too much for me to handle at times.  Even when it's hard, He's there.
Even when it hurts, He's there.
Even when it's lonesome, He's there.
When I sleep,
When I wake,
When I hide,
When I speak,
When I rise,
When I fall,
He is there.

This is why I labeled the blog "Where can I run from your love."  It's the simple question of rhetoric that follows hard on the heels of the rest of Psalm 139.  Where, indeed?
This, and Psalms like it, have an invasive glow in the darkness that surrounds both the Psalmist and me.  I'm sure this is something you've run into before as well as you've battled the schemes of the enemy to further work out your salvation:
"Lord God, it's hard.  It seems to never end.  This turmoil, this trial, it's forever.  It's devastating.  It's hurting me, my mind, my will to go forward.  I want to bury myself in heaps of comforts that can only serve their purpose as would my next breath.  I feel alone.  But...
God, I know you're here.  I know you've not gone.  I know you've never gone.  You're never caught fleeing the scene of my days, my panic-stricken mind, or ever-burdened soul.  I cannot hide my thoughts, my words, or my person from You.  You do not run for cover - You ARE my cover.  I pick up the functional, tangible savior, only to put it down again because in Your mercy, You remind me of Your faithfulness."

You cannot hide from this God.
That's a good thing.
That's a gracious thing.
That's a God thing.

His hand is on the matters of His creation, His heart tenderly working for our complete healing and sanctification.  No wonder the Psalmist says,
"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.    I awake, and I am still with you."  (vv.17-18)
This God of all comforts never sleeps.  Always thinks.  Always considers.  Always knows.  Always sees, always seeks, always loves.
God, even when I get caught up in my mess, or lost in my thoughts, or deep in my disbelief, You are there.  Where could I possibly go that Your love will not find me?  I do not ask for an answer, but glory in Your unbending will to see me through.  God, You are so good!

I pray you have a wonderful day, friends! Below are links to the stamp sets I used as well as the link to the song that inspired this page.  I thank you for your time in reading this, and I encourage you, sweet and hopeful sister, to continue on knowing that the Lord has not lost your way; He is leading you home!  Hallelujah!

Much love,
Deeds

Early Bird Bundle!
hurry!  Ends 12/9

Vintage Love

Art Deco Alpha

Youtube video, "139" by Gateway Worship .  ENJOY!

Be Humble, Gentle and Patient

Ephesians 4:2-3

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."

I don't know if it's because Valentine's Day is approaching or what, but I woke up super grateful for my husband the day I created this page. My husband and I don't pay too much attention to Valentine's Day in particular, mainly because our anniversary is the next month and we rather focus on and celebrate that occasion instead. But it's also important that we celebrate our significant other all the time, not just on special occasions. 

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities and to-do lists that its really easy to take each other for granted! I know I'm guilty of it myself sometimes! We all are at one point or another. When you're a part of a couple, you each have you're own role, or duties you typically take care of while you partner has others. And sometimes, you get so use to your husband or wife taking care of those things, you take it for granted that they always get done. 

There are some days my husband comes home and all I can seem to do is focus on negative things, or the things he isn't doing. And in turn, sometimes he comes home and instead of seeing how much I took care of all day long, he only sees the laundry that is still sitting on the sofa, or the kids toys on the floor, dinner not cooked, etc. It's all too easy to see and point out things someone isn't doing. But it is so important that we seek out and celebrate the best thing is our husbands and wives. We all have our own set of pressures that others can't always see. Pressures we sometimes hide from others because we don't want to burden them with that stress.

Ephesians 4:2-3 tells us we should be humble, gentle, and patient. Bearing with one another in love! God brought me to my husband, paired us together and blessed us with the life we are living and I could not be more grateful. He is my rock when things get rough, my biggest supporter, the father to my children, my friend and my love. He works so hard to support his family and he loves us unconditionally. What more can you ask for? So I need to continue to remind myself to be humble, gentle, and patient when things may seem less than perfect. I can't always see all the stress swirling around in his head, and he can't always see mine. So we need to bear with each other, through it all, and grow together in love. 

Life isn't perfect, it's just not possible. So hold on to the people God has blessed you with, and treat them with love and respect. 

Prayer: Thank you Lord for my husband! I am beyond grateful for him and all the blessings we have in our life. Please help me to not lose sight of the little or big things. I pray that I always see the best in him and that I can always be a loving and supportive wife. May we always make you the center of our marriage. 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

His Love 

Skinny Caps Alpha 

Grunge Elements 2

Mini Grunge Type Alpha 

Texture Tiles 3

Bitty Minnie Alpha

God's Word & His Purpose

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe that it's already the beginning of the Christmas season. I am so thankful for Jesus and His Word. I love these verses that tell us that God's Word does not return void. It will always fulfill the purposes He has for it. Our job is to share His Word. He'll do the rest! I am thankful for the word pictures the Bible often gives us. Here, we are given the picture of rain or snow and how it waters the earth so that plants can flourish. In the same way, God's Word waters our souls so that we can flourish. Yay, God!! 

For my page, I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Crazy About Snowmen, Bitty Minnie Alpha, Itty Bitty Blossoms, and Skinny Caps. I used watercolor crayons and a white brush pen to color. 

It's Black Friday, and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is having a great sale!! Don't miss out!

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Justice, Mercy & Faithfulness...

Hi friends,

Have you ever focused so much on little details that you've missed the big picture? Whether it's focusing on the imperfections of our homes and missing the fact that we have one to be grateful for, or nitpicking at the faults of others instead of cherishing the gift of relationship, this is something that I can be frequently guilty of!

Jesus faced people who also focused on the small things instead of the more important matters - those people were called the Pharisees. In Matthew 23, Jesus does not hold back in his criticism of their attitudes, behaviour and heart condition. In this list of rebukes, Jesus points out that the Pharisees were really great at tithing (giving 10%) of every... little... thing (including herbs and spices!!) but they were neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness.

The Pharisees were so consumed with box ticking in the small matters and making sure they looked good and had done their duty, that they missed the heart of God's instructions: they way they treated people. This verse is very similar to one found in Micah 6:8, and I suspect that Jesus was reminding them of this verse of Scripture (which they would have been familiar with), which says "what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" These three actions/attitudes correspond to Jesus' words in Matthew 23: justice is mentioned first in both, mercy and kindness come from the same Hebrew word, and faithfulness could be described as walking humbly before God. You see, God hasn't changed. The heart of the Old Testament law is the same as the heart of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to teach and demonstrate. God places the highest value on how we treat one another and how we follow Jesus. It's that simple.

I used one of the stamp sets that you can get for free as a Stamp of the Month during November, called Poppies and Greetings, on this page, watercolouring the flowers. I also used Life in Jesus, Skinny Caps Alpha and Rebecca Script Alpha for the three main words, with little words from Armor of God along with some small alpha stickers to complete the text.

Let's remember to keep focused on the things that matter most to God: justice, mercy and faithfulness. When these things are our priority, the little things tend to take care of themselves, or they get put into their proper perspective!

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Be a Fruit Smoothie!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Hi Friends!

This passage is probably familiar to you. We know that when we become believers, we are instantly indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This fruit of the Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. As we submit to Him, the Holy Spirit conforms us into His image, making us more like Christ. Of course, we will not be completely rid of our sinful natures here on earth. But, the goal is to progressively allow the Holy Spirit to produce more and more of His fruit in our lives. Through Him, it is possible! So, let's be a fruit smoothie! Blend the fruit throughout our lives and serve it to all we meet. When they see Him in us, they will be drawn to Him.

Page Details: I had such fun with new Sweet n Sassy Stamps set Fruits of the Spirit! There is so much versatility with it as you could use it with any verses talking about fruit or sweetness. I also used the following sets: Skinny Caps, Fill Me Up, and Whimsy Bouquet (the blueberries were a stamp from this set).

To make the smoothie glass, I masked off the top of the coffee cup from the Fill Me Up set. Then I drew in the smoothie line and the straw. I used watercolor crayons to color the page.

Have a blessed week my friends! Andrea