Thrive

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Jeremiah 29:4-7

When people think of Jeremiah 29, they often think of verse 11. But just a few verses before that, there is a beautiful passage of how to live in circumstances in which you might not want to be. You see, Jeremiah was writing to the Jewish people who had been sent into exile. And that exile lasted 70 years! Yep, not 7, not 17, but 70 years. And God told them to flourish, to build houses and plant gardens, to marry and have families- to build a life, a good life. We may not be living in exile, but there are probably circumstances of your life that are difficult. You may not be living where you want to live. You may not have the life you expected to have. Your community may not be thriving. But God is there just like He was there for the Jews these verses were written to. And He wants you to thrive anyway.

He also told them to pray for their community. The cities they found themselves in, in exile, they were to pray for peace and prosperity. So what should we do? We should PRAY!!

These instructions, although given to the Jews a long time ago, can be applied in our lives. My nation has been struggling and the state of this nation isn’t where I want it to be. But nonetheless, I am to make the best of my circumstances, to build a house and a family, to plant gardens of love and unity and Jesus’ light, to pray for my city, my state, my country- peace and prosperity for them all regardless of whether I voted for the people in office or not. Plant gardens, my friends, and pray. If your city/state/nation prospers, you too will prosper.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Boss Lady Alpha, Welcome Home, and Love Your Neighbor. To shadow the words, I used a pencil. I love using a pencil because you can erase it if you mess up and make it darker or lighter depending on what you want it to look like.

Thrive wherever you are because God is there too. Andrea

Built by God

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Hebrews 3:4

Hi Friends!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, we made a move to Texas. As of today, we've been here 2 weeks. For my husband and I, it was a move back to the town in which we were both raised. For my daughter, it's a place she's visited to see grandparents, but never lived in. We moved to the home my husband grew up in. And to be honest, I have mixed feeling about that. I loved the home we had in KS. From the moment we walked into it with the realtor, it felt like home to me. This house that we're in now, has always been my in-law's house. And it's going to take some time for that feeling to change. But what won't ever change, no matter where I may find myself geographically, is God. And, as this verse states, He is the Builder of ALL things. It doesn't really matter what earthly home I live in. What matters is my faith and trust in Him.

This chapter in Hebrews compares Jesus to Moses and proves that Jesus is the better of the two. It mentions that Moses was faithful in building the tabernacle, but that Jesus is worthy of the glory because He is Builder. That's the context of this verse. Wherever we find ourselves, even if it's not where we thought we'd end up, we should make the best of it and glorify Jesus in all we do. He is the builder of all things. My foundation is Him.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Playful Alpha & Welcome Home. I stamped the grass and house. But then I applied watercolor over the pigment ink. I used watercolor for the sky and then stamped the words and the fence, trees, and clouds. A simple page- but I tend toward the simple. :)

Be blessed, my friends! Andrea

 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? 

And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Hi Friends!

If only I were as willing as Isaiah. If I am completely honest, I don't immediately jump up and say, "YES!" to the Lord when it's not something in my plans. Can you relate? I heard a song the other day on the radio, and it was SO good- but it was also a gut punch. It's called "Start Right Here" by Casting Crowns. Here are the lyrics:

We want our coffee in the lobby
We watch our worship on a screen
We got a Rockstar preacher
Who won't wake us from our dreams
We want out blessings in our pocket
We keep our missions overseas
But for the hurting in our cities
Would we even cross the street?

Huh but we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church, if we want to see a change in the world out there

It's got to start right here
It's got to start right now
Lord, I'm starting right here
Lord, I'm starting right now

I'm like the brother of the prodigal
Who turned his nose and puffed his chest
He didn't run off like his brother
But his soul was just as dead
What if the church on Sunday
Was still the church on Monday too?
What if we came down from our towers
And walked a mile in someone's shoes?

Hmm 'cause we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It's got to start right here
It's got to start right now
Lord, I'm starting right here
Lord, I'm starting right now

We're the people who are called by His name
If we'll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land but it starts right here
We're the people who are called by His name
If we'll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land

It's got to start right here
It's got to start right now
Lord, I'm starting right here
Lord, I'm starting right now
It's got to start right here
It's got to start right now
Lord, I'm starting right here
Lord, I'm starting right now

And click here for the video.

I needed to hear those words; and I needed to see Isaiah's quick and enthusiastic commitment to be God's messenger. Church, if we want to see change in the world out there, it's got to start right here. It's got to start right now. In our homes. In our neighborhoods. In our schools. In our churches. In our workplaces. We have to stand firm in God's truth and to share that truth in a loving way. Let's be the light that Christ calls us to be to this dark world. Let's live worthy of our calling.

Page details:

I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Marker Alpha, Playful Alpha, and Welcome Home. I used acrylic paints for the background. I sprayed my page first with water so that it would thin out the paint and help them blend. I stamped the houses and church on sticker paper, cut them out, and adhered them to the page. I outlined the images with a Micron pen.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

I'm Coming, Lord!

 O You who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come. Psalm 65:2

Dear Friends,

Wow, what a year this has been, right? So many uncertainties and upheavals have occurred. But, in my life at least, there have been many blessings too- more time with family, rest from work, more time of prayer and Bible study. We live in a world where many do not know our great God. But, one day, as Psalm 65:2 tells us, ALL flesh will come to Him. To those of us who know Him, this verse also reminds us that He hears our prayers. Whatever may be on your mind, friend, tell Him! Come to Him. Rest in Him. Make time in your day for Him. It will change your life!

When I read this verse, I thought, "I'm coming, Lord, I'm coming!" And the good news is is that He is waiting for each of us with open arms.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Welcome Home, Vintage Van, All of Me Alpha, Shake It Off Alpha, Texture Tiles 4, Fill Me Up, and Gear Up. I spritzed my page with water first and then applied acrylic paint. As needed, I spritzed more water to blend the colors a little. I stamped the words and scene directly on the page. I want them completely black. So, after stamping, I went over the images with a black marker. I stamped the van on sticker paper so it would stand out. I colored it with alcohol markers.

I hope you have a blessed week! Andrea

Hear & Practice...

Hi friends,

I don't know if anyone else went to Sunday School when they were young and sang "The wise man built his house upon the rock..." which leads to "and the rain came tumbling down." (Apologies if you now have that song on repeat in your head for a while!) 

Having sung the song many times and heard the story told, I assumed that to build your house on the rock meant to build your life on Jesus. That sounds right, doesn't it? But that's not exactly what this passage of Scripture says. In Matthew 7:24 Jesus says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of wine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Then in verse 26 he goes on to say, "But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." Notice that in both of these scenarios, the men heard the words of Jesus? But it isn't enough just to hear them - they must be put into practice.

As a piano teacher, I have for many years encouraged my students to practice regularly - after all, that is the only way they are to grow in their proficiency on the instrument. When I read these words of Jesus, I think about what 'practice' should look like in the life of a person who wishes to build their house on the rock. I think it looks like taking Jesus' words seriously and prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to show us where and how they apply to our lives right now, then acting upon these words... repeatedly. After all, practice is a repeated thing, not a once-off action. We can't claim to be building our lives on the rock if we obeyed Jesus' words once, 10 years ago, but haven't since! 

I'm personally convicted about how easy it is for a gap to appear between my reading/hearing or Jesus' words (which really include Scripture as a whole, as it is God-breathed) and the practical ways it is applied in my life. I need to be more intentional about identifying how my daily actions are being shaped, challenged and changed by listening to Jesus' words. 

I used the Welcome Home set on this page to stamp the houses and their roofs in different colours, then added some shading with coloured pencil. The rock and sand were painted with acrylic paints, and the sky was created using gelatos and a bit of stencilling using Versafine ink. The text was stamped using a combination of Loop da Loop Alpha, Mini Grunge Type Alpha and Old Fashioned Alpha. Here are the sets I used:

Let's be people to not only hear the words of Jesus, but actively put them into practice in our daily lives.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

For This Purpose

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

Hi Friends!

Many people put their hope in government. That the government will make their lives better or fix the problems that we have in this world. But no human leader or government can give us what we're looking for. Only the one true King can. And in Him, my friends, is where we should place our hope.

I'm talking about governments today because in Exodus 9, we find Moses in the middle of his back and forth with Pharaoh, in the midst of plagues. And one of the things God said to Pharaoh through Moses really caught my attention. Verse 16 tells us 3 things:

1. God put the man who was Pharaoh at that time in that position. Pharaoh may have thought he was Pharaoh because he was a god, but he was mistaken. The one and only God put him there. 
2. God placed Pharaoh in that position of leadership so that He could show Pharaoh His power. God was revealing Himself to Pharaoh.
3. God also placed Pharaoh in that position of leadership so that His name would be proclaimed in all the earth. God was glorified through what took place between Moses and Pharaoh and the freeing of the Israelites.

So what does that mean for us? It means that God reigns supreme. No matter what the political parties are doing, no matter who is president, no matter what countries are world powers, God is in control. He is the One who puts people in positions of leadership. And no matter what they do in that position, good or bad, He will use it to reveal Himself and for His glory.

We have an election coming up here in America. But I'm not putting my hope in any political party or candidate. My hope is in my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the one true King. And regardless of what happens in the election, He reigns. And that, my friends, is good news. May His name be glorified around the world!

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Welcome Home, Old Fashioned Alpha, Marker Alpha, and Bitty Minnie Alpha. For the background, I used acrylic paint. I spritzed my page with water first so that the paint would move on the page more easily and blend well. I stamped the ground, and then used a black marker to fill it in to the bottom of the page. To draw the word bubble, I used a Micron pen. The Welcome Home set is great to make silhouette images like I did on this page, but using colors with the set also makes really cute houses and scenes.

Praying that you place your hope in Him. Have a blessed week! Andrea