God is Enough

This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand, I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. Exodus 7:17

Hi Friends!

I'm in Exodus today, and the plagues are about to begin. The Israelites had been in Egypt for 430 years. The Egyptians had made them slaves; and they suffered through that. Now, it was time for them to go. God was going to free them. But Pharaoh thought he could stop them. And so, because of Pharaoh's actions, the plagues began. These plagues caused much suffering too.

The world is full of suffering, isn't it? We all suffer- believers and unbelievers alike. Why? Because we live in a fallen world. Jesus told us we would suffer. And, honestly, if the God Man had to suffer as He did, why would we expect not to suffer?

But, there's good news, friend. God is enough for any suffering we may experience. In fact, He is more than enough. Our God is good, and He's working His purpose in every circumstance. In those hard times, draw near to Him. Know Him. He will sustain us through it just as He sustained the Israelites through the plagues. We are not enough. We're not even close. But He is. Lean into Him.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Your Story, In His Image, Grace Upon Grace, and the Starry Night Stencil. I used distress oxides and the stencil for the background. I stamped the notebook paper on sticker paper and the partially adhered it to the page so that I can still lift it up to read the scripture underneath.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Focus on Jesus

O our God, will You not execute judgment on them? 

For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. 

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Hi Friends!
Today we are in 2 Chronicles 20 where Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was told that the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites had declared war on him. And he got scared. Wouldn't you too? But his response wasn't to focus on the enemy and his circumstances. No, instead he immediately went straight to God. He also asked the people of Judah to fast. So nationwide, they sought the Lord. Incredible! How amazing to have a leader that led people directly to God in difficult times.

Jehoshaphat prayed before the people. He cried out to God with all of Judah and asked God to help them. And he ended the prayer with a thought I can SO relate to, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." Oh man, I can relate to Jehoshaphat's fear and not knowing what to do regarding big, scary things in life. I've read this chapter before, more than once. But in this reading, this sentence really stopped me. Maybe it's because of what's going on in America and the world right now. I don't know, but it so resonated with me. This reminds me to keep my focus on Him, to do what Jehoshaphat did. So, I'm adopting this sentence as a little prayer that I can send up anytime fear or worry starts to set in. I don't know what to do, Lord, but my eyes are on You. Yes and amen, y'all! Do you want to know how the story ends? They didn't even have to fight the battle! God, through Jahaziel, told them to march out against the army, but to just "stand still and watch the Lord's victory." (2 Chron 20:17) God caused the enemy armies to fight among themselves, not one of them escaped. Don't we have an awesome God? If He could do that for Jehoshaphat and Judah, just think how worthy He is to entrust with the circumstances of your life. Focus on Him, sweet friends, not your circumstances.

For the page, I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Capture This Moment, Healer of My Heart, Girl Power, and Your Story. I painted the back ground with acrylic paint. While that dried, I stamped the camera image on some sticker paper and then again on a post-it note to make a mask. Before I cut the mask out, I drew hands and arms so the girl could hold the camera. (They're a little wonky, I know. That's why I love stamps so much so I don't have to depend on my drawing skills!) Then I cut out the mask. I use post-it notes so it will stick where I want it and not move. Once the mask was placed, I stamped the girl, removed the mask, and drew in the hands/arms to match the masked area. I drew the frame freehand. I colored the image with alcohol markers, then cut it out to place it on the Bible page. I wrote my prayer out, and finished the page with a stencil and more acrylic paint.

Our hope is in Him, and no one else. Have a blessed week! Andrea

Pillar of the Truth

If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, 

which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 

1 Timothy 3:15

Hi Friends!
Today we're focusing on 1 Timothy 3:15. In chapter 3, Paul has been speaking on how members of the church should conduct themselves since they (we) are "a pillar and buttress of the truth." So what does that mean? Pillars and buttresses are structures that provide support to buildings. So, we as the church are to support God's truth. We are to uphold His truth and stand firm in it in this world of relativity. For us to do this, it is important that we conduct ourselves in a Christ-like way. We share His truth not only by sharing God's Word, but also by the way we live. As believers, it's so important that we are not swayed by the currents of this world. His truth is the ONLY truth; and we must stand firm in it.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: My Father's House, Consider the Wildflowers, Be a Flamingo, Mighty Fortress, Your Story, Joint Heirs, and Note This.

My Father's House and Consider the Wildflowers are brand new, and they are wonderful sets! My Father's House resonates with me because I'm missing my church family. But, it also reminds me that "church" isn't a building. It's us. And I just love Consider the Wildflowers. It's pretty colored. It's pretty black & white. I used watercolor crayons to color the page.

 Stand firm, my friends, and have a blessed week! Andrea

Serve Him

David assigned the following men to lead the music at the house of the Lord after the ark was placed there. 1 Chronicles 6:31

Hello Friends!
I hope you are well. Today, I am in 1 Chronicles 6. It's one of the chapters that lists genealogy, specifically regarding the tribe of Levi. In addition to the lists of names, it speaks of assignments that segments of the Levites would fulfill. Some would be gatekeepers, some would care for the physical building and instruments once the temple was built, some would be music leaders, and those in Aaron's line would be priests. I wonder if all these men thankfully and graciously served in their assigned roles. I mean, the priests were looked up to, they led they sacrifices and worship. They were important in human eyes. The music leaders probably didn't have it too bad. They were to praise God with music. Sounds good to me. The gatekeepers...probably not the top job everyone wanted, but definitely important. What about the men that had to care for the building, the custodians? Were they appreciated? They should have been if they weren't. Can you imagine keeping the temple area clean? Here's my point, to God every single one of these jobs had a purpose in keeping His house holy. And every single job was just as important to Him as another. It's only in human eyes that we tend to rank jobs.

For believers today, we need to be willing to serve God wherever He puts us, even if that means we're serving in a not so glamorous way. And not only do we need to do it, we need to do it joyfully and with a thankful heart.

• Romans 12:4-8, "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness, do it gladly."
• 1 Corinthians 12, the entire chapter, is about serving in different capacities. Paul tells us about spiritual gifts and how the body of Christ works together best when each person serves in the capacity God wants him in.
• 1 Corinthians 12:5, "There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord."
• 1 Corinthians 12:18-19, "But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. How strange a body would be if it only had one part!"
• Ephesians 4:16, "He (Christ) makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

God assigned the Levites different jobs in the temple. And God gifts believers today in different ways so that we can serve in different areas. Serve joyfully in whichever part of the body you are serving! Every job is important, even those that may seem insignificant, and serves a purpose in completing God's plan.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Your Story, All Your Heart, and Vintage Love. I used a Micron pen to shadow the letters of "serve" and "heart." I used watercolor crayons for the background and images.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Praise God All. The. Time.

Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; 

I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song." Judges 5:3

Hi Friends!

Have you been praising God in the midst of this new normal? Judges 5 is a song that Deborah and Barak sang in praise to God. It recounts what God had done for them. That's a good lesson for us. When life isn't going the way we planned, or the way we want, we need to remember what God has done for us. That will help us to not only praise Him, but to know that He is working in our current circumstances.

For me personally, this time at home has been productive. I've prayed more and been in God's Word more. I've cleaned the storage area in my basement. I've been a little bit better at the house work. (Cleaning is the LAST thing I ever want to do. LOL) I hope you're finding some positives in this time too. I know there is a lot of hardship and uncertainty. But I am fully convinced that God is working His purpose in this. And I praise Him, even when I don't understand all of what He's doing (which, let's be honest, is most of the time!)

Let's praise Him in the good. Let's praise Him in the bad. Let's praise Him in the in between.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Your Story Let's Do This, and All in All. I love all of these sets! They are just so versatile. Look at all those cute paper clips! My page is very simple! I just stamped and then used chalk pastels around the notebook paper to make the paper stand out a little. To apply the pastels, I just took a paper towel and wrapped it around my finger, dipped into the pastel and applied it to my page. I just covered the notebook paper that I wanted to stay white with a scrap piece of paper.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Your Story Matters

"The man from whom the devils had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.' And he went away, proclaiming through the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." 

Luke 8:38-39

Luke 8 tells us the story of the man possessed by many demons. We all know the story, right? Jesus met the man and cast the demons into a herd of swine, which then ran over a cliff into the sea and perished. The man, finally restored to his right mind after being demon-possessed for many years, thanked Jesus and begged Jesus to let him follow Him and be one of His disciples. Jesus, however, told the man to go back to his home and tell others what had God had done for him, and the man went back to his hometown and the Bible tells us that he "proclaimed to the whole city all that Jesus had done for him." 

The man wanted to leave all and follow Jesus, but Jesus knew that his greatest ministry would be in taking his story back to his hometown. 

Each of us has a unique story to tell. Mine is one of teen motherhood, alcohol dependency, a broken family, and God's wonderful, redemptive grace. (I actually shared some of my testimony in our Creative Worship group last weekend if you want to join the group and hear my story. You can find my live video under Unit 2. 💕) Your story may be different than mine, but it is just as important. The best way to share the gospel message is to share with others your personal experience with Jesus. Your hometown is your mission field. Your story matters - share it!

  

I used this month's new release stamp set Your Story to create this page. I love all of the stamp sets, but this one is definitely going to be a favorite! It has so many uses - for Bible journaling, card making, and just little journaling notecards of encouragement.

  

You have a story that matters. Whatever your story, God wants to use it for His honor and His glory. Use your story to point others to Jesus.

Love in Christ, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy

Trust. Pray. Repeat.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

Hi Friends!

I don't know about you, but I've had a lot to pray about lately. One of the positives about staying home is I have a lot more time to focus on prayer. The Bible tells us time and again to talk to God. Even though, He already knows our situations, He wants us communicating with Him. It doesn't matter how small the issue may be, God wants us coming to Him. First. We can trust Him as we can trust no one else. And He will answer our prayers for His purpose and for our good.

So, I saw a lovely idea of making a small prayer booklet from Allie Trumpower from Allie Scraps.  She mentioned carrying hers with her in her purse so that when someone has a prayer request, she can jot it down. I thought that was a great idea! It could also be used just for our own prayer requests for ourselves and loved ones and for praises. Allie has prayer card printables on her website. However, my printer is not working, so I had to improvise. I used stamps!

One of the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets I used for this project is part of the April release. And, Korin has made the release available early!! WOO HOO!! It's called Your Story. I absolutely love it. Two of the stamps are a library card and a piece of notebook paper. EEEP! So I used those stamps to make the pages of my booklet, stamped on scrapbook paper. I used 10 pages, but really, you can as many pages as you like. I also used a set called Texture Tiles 5. Once I had all the pages stamped and cut out, I punched holes in the corners, and attached them with a book ring, and added ribbon to the ring. Ta-da! Prayer booklet! Now all I need to do is start writing.

I think this will be a great way to keep track of what I'm praying for and the praises I have. I walk my dog every morning, and pray while I'm walking him. This booklet is small enough to take with me on the walks. They would also make sweet little gifts for others!

With the extra time we all have now, we can make these little booklets for ourselves and to share. But, most importantly, let's make sure we are focusing on prayer. God has a purpose in all this. May His will be done.

Have a blessed week! Andrea