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

Run With Endurance

“I am never signing up to do this again!” I scold myself as I’m half a mile into my race. “I don’t know what I was thinking wanting to get up before dawn to come out here and run this early in the morning.” If you know me, you know that I am NOT a morning person and I am definitely not an early morning exerciser. So the mere fact that I am running a race before dawn, or just after, tells you how much I love it. But right now, the road before me is long, crowded and already my legs are feeling heavy. But somewhere just beyond the first mile mark, something changes. My steps get secure. My breathing is under control and the crowd has lessened a bit. The distance before me is still daunting, but it seems do-able.

No matter what distance you run, the first mile is always the hardest. It’s crowded from the people clamored at the start line. Your pace is hard to find because you’re surrounded by people who run different speeds. And until the air clears a bit, it’s almost hard to breathe. But somewhere around that first mile mark, the dust settles some. The challenge is still there, but instead of being overwhelming, you realize that you do have the strength within you to tackle the race ahead. It’s in those moments that follow that you really begin to learn what you are made of. All of your preparation has reached a pinnacle and it’s time to put your training to the test. There’s so much that we can learn from running a race, but there are three main points I want to look at today.

1. Find a steady, but challenging pace. 
The starting line of a race is one of the most congested, chaotic places. There are hundreds and sometimes thousands of people all standing together with the same goal: get to the finish line as fast as you can. And as soon as that buzz sounds signaling the start of the race, everyone takes off. It’s crowded and hurried and often hard to find your running speed because you are surrounded by people running different paces. Sometimes you don’t realize how fast you are running until you start fighting fatigue prematurely. The key to running well is to find a pace that is steady, yet challenging. You want to find a pace that you can hold over a long period of time, yet one that will allow you to meet your time goals. 

My favorite place to start in a race is at the back. I may be one of the last ones through the starting line, but I typically don’t feel the pressure to keep up with everyone. As the race continues, the crowd clears. People are finding their own stride and are starting to lay claim to the race – it is theirs to run. The competition lies within themselves…can I do better this time than last? What can I do differently this time that I messed up on last time? 

As we are running through this life, the best thing that we can remember is to stay in stride behind Jesus. He is the ultimate pace-setter. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” Don’t try to run ahead when you feel strong or go around Him when the terrain seems rough. He sees the road ahead when we don’t and He knows which way is best. Follow Him. Keep your eyes focused on Him. Speed is important in a race, but more important than that is steadiness and consistency. Following Him will be challenging at times, but His steps are always secure; He is worthy to be trusted. Other paths and other people will look tempting to follow but He said, “There is only one way to the Father and that is through me” (John 14:6, paraphrased). Surrender the desire to run your own way and your own pace and stay focused on Him. Let Him guide your steps. Learn the way that He runs and mimic it. Because I can promise you one thing: He won’t let you down. 

2. When things get tough, slow down, but don’t stop.
Races are never flat. I gave up on that wish a long time ago! Pavement is uneven. Hills come and go. Running against the wind is a fight you can’t control. But one thing is certain: for every uphill you climb, there is always a downhill, or at least a flat road! Life happens. Trials come. But Jesus told us to run with endurance the race set before us. I love the definition of endurance. It is the ability to endure a difficult situation without giving way. It is the ability of someone or something to remain active for a long period of time while gaining immunity to fatigue. We are told to run with endurance the race set before us. When we place our hope in the Lord, we are told that “we will find new strength…[we] will run and not grow weary…” Isaiah 40:31. When that road ahead seems daunting, we place our hope and our trust in the Lord and He will give us the strength to endure. We press on toward the goal that Christ has called us to (Philippians 3:14). If we are in stride behind Him, we can have absolute certainty that the direction we are running is the right direction. We can know that when we encounter difficult circumstances that we are where we are supposed to be because HE has led us there. We can find JOY in the journey because we are running in step with Christ. Is He going to give us more than we can handle? YES…Because He wants to grow our dependence on Him. We run with endurance. We endure trials and suffering and pain and heartache because He is growing us and strengthening us to become more like Him. When those hill climbs are making your muscles burn, slow your steps but keep on running. He won’t run off and leave you, He still there marking out the path in front of you. Press on. The finish line is near!

3. Have a good playlist. 
As silly as it sounds, a critical component for me to run a good race is to have a good playlist. The beat of the music helps me keep my pace and when I am focused on the empowering words of the songs, I am able to mentally press through the tough times. A couple of years ago, I made the decision to only listen to Christian music while I am running. Music has such an impact on me and seems to go straight from my ears to my soul. Because of that, I made the choice that if I am going to be using music to get through tough workouts, I want it to point me to the one who can get me through all things- Christ. And there is nothing like worshipping while you’re running J

All that to say, it is vital that we surround ourselves with things that are going to uplift and encourage us on a daily basis. We need to have good, Christian friends to challenge us to be better people. We need to listen to music and read books that have positive, Biblically centered messages. We need to be involved in ministries that put Christ and others first. In our life-race, we need a good playlist to get us through the tough times. We need to be able to pull those messages from our subconscious to get us through the dark, unsteady times. The messages that you feed your mind will filter out into the way that you run and the way that you live. Make it good <3

By the time I get to the finish line I feel strong, accomplished and ready to take on the world. All thoughts of how hard the race was are gone and it’s in those moments that follow that I sign up for another race. Because there’s nothing like being welcomed back at the finish line with a loved ones arms around you, proud of you for what you have just done J Well done, faithful friends. We made it. 

Have a great weekend!
Jennifer
IG: @lifeintherace

Crafty Details
I started this page by stenciling some diamonds with Twisted Citron distress oxide and adding some texture with Texture Tiles 1 with Broken China. I printed the digital stamp Turtley Awesome and colored him with my Prismacolor colored pencils. I stamped the words with a combination of Messy Stamped Alpha and Teeny Alpha and finished with a few strips of washi on the top and bottom. 

We Preach Christ Crucified...

Hi friends,

'For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.' 

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Paul is really clear about what his message is: it is to preach Christ crucified. He didn't compromise this message, he didn't water it down, take away from it or add to it. He stuck to the simple truth, despite being misunderstood and ridiculed. He knew that even though this truth was a stumbling block to some and folly to others, Christ was both the power and wisdom of God, and his crucifixion is central to the expression of God's power and wisdom.

When I reflect on this scripture it makes me wonder about how we proclaim the message of Christ. Do we water it down? Do we compromise on truth? Do we avoid speaking certain truths because we are worried about what people will think or how they will respond? It is all too easy for the message of the Gospel to be diluted or polluted, and Paul was very aware of this. He shows us how to proclaim the simple Gospel message. Let's join him in preaching Christ crucified.

This was a pretty simple page to put together with a couple of stencils and some acrylic paint. I stamped the cross from Rustic Easter onto watercolour card and coloured with watercolours then cut it out and glued it over the stencilled background. The text is a combination of Skinny Lowercase Alpha, His Name and Teeny Alpha.

May God help us to preach Christ crucified in whatever way he gives us opportunity.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

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!

My whole being waits...

Hi friends,

I've got to be honest with you: patience and waiting are not my strengths. In fact, I am very impatient and cannot stand being bored (my smartphone has become a convenient, if not very helpful distraction when waiting in queues!). So when I read scriptures in the Bible that talk about waiting, I am convicted about my lack of willingness to wait patiently.

When I read Psalm 130:5 the other day what struck me is the phrase 'my whole being waits'. I began to meditate on what that means, and how it would look if every part of my being was willing to wait for the Lord. I may be able to wait physically, in that I don't force things to happen by my actions, and while that is good, it is only one part of what waiting needs to include.

My biggest challenge, to be honest, is my mind. Even if my physical being is waiting by not rushing into action, my mind is so often in overdrive trying to process and work out every possibility. What if this happens? What if there's a delay? What if it never comes? The questions and possible answers go swirling around my head incessantly. But instead, I need to learn to wait with my whole being, including my mind. Waiting means trust and stillness, knowing that God is more than able to supply what I need, and no amount of stressing or striving on my part will make any difference to the outcome. I am slowly learning that in the waiting process I need to continually turn my thoughts and emotions over to God, submitting to his timing and trusting that he will answer.

I love the chair image in the new Warmth of Christmas set - it goes so well with the themes of trust and waiting, which I have a ton of verses I want to journal on using the new Trust in the Lord set. I used the beautiful Birds & Blooms set for the flowers and bird, as well as School Days Alpha and Teeny Alpha for stamping the verse.

I don't know about you, but I am pretty challenged about my whole being waiting for the Lord. I need to grow in this, but I know that the Holy Spirit is faithful to remind me in my waiting to trust and submit my whole being to God.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Truth Bomb Cards

Makin' me some "Truth Bomb Cards" for those who need a good word!

Hello Sweet n Sassy Stamping friends!!

Deeds here with another round of mass production.  But, this time I'm doing what I call "Truth Bomb" cards.  As I continue to "love" Bibles and give them to those the Lord lays on my heart, I find these incredibly helpful and definitely a means of connecting!  I have all the stamp sets I used below and the affiliate links in their captions!  Thank you so much in advance for using those links; I very much appreciate it!

I started with Lyra Watercolor crayons as my base.

Adding water to primary colors is a sure-fire way to get a bright palette!

God is gracious in so many ways, and one of them is to just allow me to minister to people (young adult females, particularly) in their walk and journey with Christ.
But having worked alongside a team of leaders for our church body's youth group, I've also come across some very saddening and disheartening situations.  Conversations between young ladies heading into their adulting years have burdened me so much...

I used to be there.
I used to have those same thoughts.
I used to feel that way about myself.
I used to believe the lies of others and
I used to believe the lies I told myself.
I used to ache with loneliness.
I used to wish for companionship.
I used to long for true love.
I used to mourn over lost "love."
I used to develop a cold exterior post-rejection.

This sheet of watercolor paper can be divided into 9 sections
of 3x4 "truth bomb" cards!

It hit me that there is something in young lives that truly needs attention while younger to aid in growth and maturity when older.  Even as an adult, I still struggle with these things, and I praise God for this chance to land a piece of His truth on someone!  Even if it's quickly dismissed, some young lady will know, "Deeds loved big.  Deeds loved hard."  Through this, I pray to glorify the Lord, amen?

So that's why I made these using the set, "In His Image," which is PERFECT PERFECT for such a thing as Truth Bomb cards.  Hopefully, this will be a constant reminder to someone, somewhere, in some phase of life that "Yes!  I have a Maker.  He loves me.  He adores me.  He's created me for a reason and WITH A PURPOSE!"
The intent and idea is to purposefully and lovingly instill truth where lies have worn down and made bleak.  Where pain has (perhaps unknowingly) taken root, and bitterness resides.  Where schemes of the Devil have ripped open tender parts of the Jesus-bought soul.  They exist!  Deep down, they exist, and what an opportunity to refresh another sister in Christ with healing straight from the Word of God!

People are important.
Lives are valuable.
Time is short.
Speak life into those around you and spread the grace of our Lord to each other!
We need it; I need it.
Until glory:
There will always be a heart that needs mending.
There will always be a life that needs saving.
There will always be room for encouragement.

Here's a few passages you can use to share truth and love with another:
Psalm 139:13-14
"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  Marvelous are Your works, LORD, and my soul knows it!"

Genesis 1:27
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!"

Isaiah 42:5
"This is what God the LORD says - the Creator of heavens who stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it."

Job 12:10
"In His hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

Just as a side note, these are a mere few of the truths found in the Word of God that can aid the aching of our hearts to be accepted, cherished, chosen and loved.  There are so much more, and when you read His Word, He will indeed inspire you.  If you ask, He will answer you.  If you seek, you'll find.
His promises are yes and amen in Jesus Christ!
Such a breath of fresh air is welcome, wouldn't you say?

Much love,
Deeds

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here.

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here!

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here!

Faith minus Love = Nothing

Hi friends,

The Bible has a lot to say about faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Faith can move both mountains and fig trees (Matthew 17:20; 21:21). Faith in prayer is both vital and powerful (Matthew 21:22; James 5:15). But in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul makes it clear that there is something that is needed alongside faith, without which, faith is null and void.

We can have faith that can move mountains, that achieves things, gets results and is impressive to those around us. But without love, this means nothing. In fact, Paul says that without love 'I am nothing'. Lack of love nullifies all the other things we think are important or impressive. Having come from an environment in my past that emphasised faith in a big way, but had catastrophic gaps in the practice of love, this scripture really speaks to me.

This verse is challenging because I think a lot of the time it is easier to focus on faith than to walk out love. This may be because things that we have faith for could benefit us in some way and therefore we are more motivated to believe. It also could be because loving people is difficult, messy and usually unspectacular. But without love, all that faith can achieve is pointless, because without love, we aren't representing the God who we claim to have faith in. What a sobering challenge to our priorities in our daily walk with God and others.

I created the background on this page using a brick wall stencil and different shades of pink paint. I layered another stencil with broken lines using white paint over the top and sponged a little white paint over some of the bricks to create a distressed look. The verse was stamped using a combination of Walk by Faith, Teeny Alpha, and Seek Him stamp sets along with some alpha stickers.

I pray that God would continually enable us to demonstrate his love with those around us as we walk by faith in him.

x Amy x

Life is So Sweet

Galatians 5:22

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law."

I think most of us are familiar with this verse about the fruits of the spirit! It's essentially a list of the traits God wants us to portray in our lives. I mean what's easier than a checklist to follow right?!? Last year, our women's ministry at church focused on this verse and each time we met, we broke down a different trait from the verse. And along with each trait we associated a piece of fabric, so by the end of the year we had a collection of fabrics that we called our "Grace Clothes". 

Every morning, each of us wakes up and can decide for ourselves how our day is going to go. Do we have control over the things that happen to us every day? No of course not. But we do have control over how we react to what happens. 

God calls for us to show:

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control

Am I able to check off every item on that list EVERY day?? Nope. I'll admit it. I sure do try to though! It the busyness and fast pace of today's society, it's really too easy to lose sight of what's important and especially how we treat others. It's real easy to throw some nasty words or comments towards someone online when you don't have to see them face to face, but there's still a real person on the other side of that screen. Our daily actions say a lot about us and who we are as individuals. 

The ladies in our women's ministry looked at it like this: " Today, when I wake up I'm choosing to shed these nasty clothes of the materialistic world like Greed, Hate, Jealousy, etc.... and I'm going to put on my Grace Clothes! The fruit of the spirit!" That's a great way to think about it right?!? Taking off the old ways that aren't working for you and replacing them with the new! Life is too sweet to be sour! Our lives are full of amazing blessings from Him, and we need to spread his love and his word through our own actions and the way we live our daily lives. We want someone to look and see the light inside of us, and want to know more about where that light comes from!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

IG: faith.and.creativity

See below for the stamps I used and their links to grab them for yourself! 😉

Life and Lemons

Life in Jesus

Teeny Alpha

Outline Alpha