All-Present God

Hey guys, tis I, Deeds!

I'm very blessed to be writing on this platform today, and the stamp sets for this month have been so perfect for my study time!

So.

I started Esther.  I have always had a special place in my heart for this book of the Bible.  Even as a child, not very aware of its importance and significance in the Holy Inspired Word of God, I loved the idea of "pauper turned princess!"  Always, always, always I love royalties and stories of banquets!

I loved hearing how someone of no consequence whatsoever was brought into the house of a King.  She was clothed in riches. Her hair would have been smelly with all sorts of flowery scents, and her gowns?  Oh, her gowns.  Flowing.  Slow-motion effect dresses that match the movement of her soft long curls in her hair.  Yup.  THAT Esther. 
So.

I started Esther, as I said.  I love it now as I ever did, but now I see something very different in this book.  Something NOT of fairy tales.  Something NOT of gowns and flowing, magical hair.  I don't very much see Esther as the main focal point, nor do I see her as the featured character.  She's not the heroine, though I would certainly love for her to be.  Her place in this book is consequential, but it's NOT the most important. 
In fact, the real and true Hero goes unmentioned, un-adored, and unsung. 
He's the main Focus, though He does not speak.
He's the Centerpiece, though He seems absent and on the outskirts of all activity.

God. 
God is the focus.
God is the main.
God is ALWAYS the Hero.

Organizing, orchestrating, and manipulating events in real time, while working His glorious, timeless will.  He's pretty incredible, y'all, no doubt about it.

So, as I begin Esther, I'm reminded of a couple of things. 
Firstly, that Esther is what we would call a "means to an end."  She's definitely a person with real emotions and intellect, and I am not dismissing her; she has a place and purpose in the story of the Almighty.  When it is her time to come through for her people the Jews, she acts in bravery and security in her God.  I truly admire this young girl, precariously placed.  But, though the book bears her name, it's the loving and gracious action of God which placed her in a "royal position for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). 

Secondly, GOD IS FAITHFUL.  All the time, He is "El Emunah."  From the very beginning of the book called, "Esther," we read detail after detail of a setup which landed all characters within a part in His plan; a plan that, hands down, could be among the top 3 of redemptive historical accounts!  It was not the first, and it certainly would not be the last event circling the salvation of the Jewish people.  And throughout scripture we are reminded of the power of God's covenant with His people; with the Jews, and also with Christians today.  He is ever-mindful of His purpose and plan for all things - good and evil - to work His good pleasure and bring glory to Himself. 

It definitely puts a different spin on any films about our friend, Esther, doesn't it? Precious girl, I'd like to meet her one day. 


With this in mind, I find the study of Esther even more beautiful than gorgeous gowns and silver goblets.  It's alluring simply because though God seems absent, He is completely and perfectly present.  From the dawn of this new queen that assumes her throne, to the shakedown of the villain (Haman), Yahweh, the covenant Lord of the Israelites is moving…working…acting.  What He has promised, He will do. 

Here's to the Lover and Keeper of our souls!
Everywhere present.
Always present.
El Emunah.

And on that note, happy studying! Much love,

Deeds

He Did it First

"WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US." 1 John 4:19

Hello friends!

We're right around the corner of one of the biggest and romantic holidays ever!  VALENTINE'S DAY!

I have to admit, this one may be my favorite of the holidays that don't necessarily focus on the Life of Jesus.  I love to think that it does though, because in a very real way, the very life and death of Jesus are the "heart and soul" behind our ability to love at all!

Did you know?

In the Bible it says that we are only able to love because God FIRST and FOREMOST loved us.  (Jn 4:19) 

In the beginning - the very beginning of humanity - He wrote His image on every person.  On every soul of mankind, there is "DNA" of a Master Creator, the One by whom we are loved.  This gives us unique access to a relationship with a Maker full and complete in truth and power.  The One that created the universe, spoke stars into sparkle, dug oceans into deep, also created me.  He created you.  So uniquely.  So wonderfully.  So intricately and purposefully.  (Psalm 139)

That was just the beginning.

The fall came.  The curse placed.  Man would still bear the image of God, God would still love His specially made creature.  But something happened that required immediate attention and exquisite care.  Not to mention, unfathomable Love.

As much as God shunned the evil that abounded, He even more passionately instituted the "Way" through which the curse would be lifted, and sin washed away.  Before Eve even thought to defy her loving Lord and Master, God Himself set into motion a plan that would save her, her husband and the rest of their children (us) from what we truly deserve.
Hell.
Wrath.
Punishment.
Separation.

In the stead of a curse, God, who is love (1 Jn. 4:7), condescended to the form of man in the person of Jesus the Messiah, and took all of that… all of the hell.  All of the wrath.  All of the punishment.  All of the separation.  This allowed for the guilty (us) to be blameless as He (Jesus).  What manner of love the Father has given us!  (1Jn 3:1) 
Does anyone love you like this? 
Do you love anyone like this?

Scripture says that no one loves as the Father has loved.  No one so high, mighty, lifted up, honored and adored by angels, has EVER lifted a finger to save mankind as this High and Holy God.  No one. 
This was done by One.  Only One could do it.  Jesus Christ is the lover of our souls.  He made possible the return to that sweet fellowship with God the Master.  The Great I AM is forever satisfied by this "once and for all" act of inexpressible love, that is, the death on the cross for me.  For you. 

The life and death of Jesus were both wondrous representations and expressions of the deepest, most unadulterated Love. Ever.  Forever. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life." That apostle John really knew his stuff! (John 3:16)

And so, now we are able to say, "I love you." 

I love you…

Deeds

Stamps sets used: "His Love," "Texture Tile 1,"Teeny Alpha," and "Classy Script Alpha."
Other supplies: acrylic paint, pigment inkpad, watercolor.

Enjoy a small section of the amazing words to the beautiful (and one of my favorites) hymn below!

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 your love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To your glorious rest above!

I Know the World Needs Jesus

Hey friends and family!

I'm so in love with Jesus.  Can I just say, without the Lord I would be absolutely sunk!  There's so much that comes by being in the family of Christ; so much worked into being linked to Jesus, and there's not enough paper to write it on, according to John the disciple.  :)

Jesus is the hope of the world.
The Word of God in human flesh and form.
The reason for joy; the meaning of love.

Last Sunday, I was able to attend the church service.  Does this sound odd?  Well, in the phase in which I find myself presently (baby, sick kids and fatigue), I find that getting to the church house for fellowship and feeding, ministry and service comes as quite the challenge.  When I get to go, I'm thrilled, refreshed and reconnected with friends I have - SERIOUSLY - not seen in months. 

There's something sweet about the encountering of Jesus in all of the ways mentioned above.  When we fellowship with people of the family of God, we share Christ, unity, bonding, and much more.  When we are fed from the pulpit or classes, we hear Jesus, and our faith is strengthened.  When we minister, we are sharing Jesus' love and hope with others, whether it's a hug of understanding, a warm smile of encouragement, or tears shed for the sake of weeping with those who weep.  Service, of course, shows Jesus' life and light in ways that we don't understand because outside our physical realms lies the heavenly one, wherein angels are entertained, and God omni-present! 

The reflections of Jesus to others (inside or outside the body of Christ) can have such an eternal affect on those around us.  Wherever we are; whatever we are.

As a mom, in particular and especially, I forget what ways I'm impacting my children.  They are my "world."  They are the viewers of my life; the spectators of my day-in-day-out activities and reactions. 
God reminded me of this again last Sunday...

The worship music started.
There was unity in song.
There was blessedness in community.

At one point, I simply stood in silence and listened as those around me as they lifted the name of Jesus.  Sometimes there was 3-part harmony, but I wasn't noting that as much as the squeeze I felt at my side.

My daughter. 

My only daughter.

My child.

She'd stayed with me and stood by me for songs and announcements.  It was just the two of us there at the time as hubster elected to stay with the sicklies of the house, giving me a worship service.  

Very different, yet strangely wonderful. 
As we sang, the phrase, "I know the world needs Jesus," entered the worship hall.  Have you heard this song?
The chorus goes like this: 

"I know the world needs Jesus.
I know the world needs freedom.
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken.

Let our lives align with every word You say."

It's beautiful.  Following the chorus, it weighed heavily on me - almost to sorrow - what God was saying by the seemingly random side hug from my baby girl.  "Your children need Jesus, Deirdre.  All five of them.  They all need Me, and you need to show Me to them." 

I cried. 

For the first time in my life as a mom, I realized that the person of Jesus - the Healer, Restorer, Savior, Redeemer, and King - was not the subject of conversation on a regular basis.  My children - my "world" - did not know Jesus, and further still, did not know their need for Him. 

Oh, the shame and pain. 
Oh, the guilt of having hidden the Light under a basket.

That day changed me.  The Spirit opened me up to humbling and recovery.  I need to do things differently at my home.  I even changed the lyrics of the song above in order to better relate to my calling.

"I know my kids need Jesus.

I know my kids need freedom.
So give me eyes to see their hurting and their breaking.
Let my life align with every word You say."

So...I slipped this entry into Proverbs 22:6 which says, "Train up a child in the way he should go.  And when he is old he will not depart from it."  I believe with my whole heart that being the Light in my "world" is a good portion of what it means to train my children in the understanding of God.  My reflecting Jesus, sharing His Word, and being His hands and feet to them can impact them for life in the way they should go!

I encourage you, friends, wherever you are and whatever you are: seek to be Jesus to your "world."  If God has not called you to a full-time ministry as pastor's wife, missionary, bible translator, bible professor, don't worry.  He's called you to full-time ministry as mom, wife, Wendy's employee, amusement park vendor, garbage man, you name it!  In your "world," there are people who need Jesus.  In your "world," there are those who need to taste and see that He is good; they NEED freedom from the chains of sin, death and hell that can only be granted by faith in Jesus the Christ.

I love God the Holy Spirit.  I love His biddings.  Yes, sometimes they are difficult to swallow and digest, but they are timely mercies.  They are gracious urges to do that which is of utmost importance!

In God's mercies and much love,

Deeds

Happy Alpha, Girl Power, Brotherly Love, Sunshine Girl Alpha

LLama Tell You How Much...

Hey Guys!

Excited about this entry today!  The August release is so much fun, and I'm enjoying the different ways the team's been putting this Llama set together!  So many ideas, and so much inspiration!

 Today I'm in Psalm 103, journaling over the magnitude of God's love for the whole world! 

There's no placing limitations on God when it comes to His love for you.  Pretty simple! 

The inspired writers tried their best to detail this, attempting vernacular that would make sense to their readers.  I can't understand infinity, can you?  I can't understand limitless, uninhibited, matchless or unsearchable grace.  I can only fathom what this love is… in it's totality, it is God's.  God is limitless, uninhibited, matchless and unsearchable. 
 

Here in the Psalms we read,
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion on His children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."  (vv. 11-14)

I used "Chunky Lower Case Alpha," "Llama Love,"
& "Texture Tile 1" Stamp Sets

WOW!  Do you see what I'm saying?  I just can't begin to put labels on a unit I don't understand.  I can understand "radius."  I can understand, "miles," "inches," or "kilometers."  I can even understand negative temps, depths, and other such measurements, but I cannot even… I just can't!  His love is too great; His compassion is too much!

I used Distress Ink Oxides to achieve the background.

This brings me to that sweet, softened area of "pasture" that I read and hear about so often.  The mild, smooth, and peaceful place the good Lord brings His sheep (or Llamas, as it were ;) ).  A settled place.  A nestling place.  A place of calm, collected, and protected. 

God loves me so much.  He loves YOU so much.  His unbounded heart is like that of a Father, holding His beloved children (as llama-ish as they may be), using His compassion to see us as we are. 

Fickle. 

Feeble. 

Finicky. 

Unsteady. 

Unfaithful. 

Unsure. 

So here we are; loved beyond all reason, and the biggest way that God EVER showed His absolute and perfect love is on the cross.  The cross of Christ, His beloved Son. 

Simple colored pencil shading for the mountain & llamas stamps.

Someone who offers Himself, weakens Himself, humbles Himself on our behalf, is one who truly loves indeed.  No one - NO ONE - can deny this amazing love. 

"Llama tell you how much God loves you…"  Well, at least let me try.

He loves you perfectly.

He loves you without limits.

He loves you for your sake.

He loves you for His name.

He loves you yesterday, today, and forever.

He loves you beyond measure.

He loves you far above your thoughts, words, and actions.

He loves you as a treasure, though we are dust.

He loves you as a child, though we are wayward.

He loves you so, so much.

Much love,

Deeds

"Be Fruitful" Bible Journaling

Hellooooo Friends!

Hope you're finding blessing and inspiration in the pages you've seen - and the CARDS being made!  Oh my goodness - the August release from Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps is all too good!

Here's the link to get your hands on some of what you're seeing; you really don't want to miss out!

"Fruit of the Spirit" & "Chunky Lower Case Alpha" Stamps used.

My journaling is in John 15 today.  Like so many entries, I usually don't know what I’m doing when I start, but after I lay some acrylic paint down, I'm ready to go!  Acrylic and I are tight when it comes to documenting in my Bible :D
So really, it's simple: I put down a few layers of white, then some smoky grey.  The reason for the basic coloring is to contrast the very colorful fruit images I put down later.  I definitely want them to stand out! 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, friends, bearing fruit, according to Jesus, is much harder than we think; doable, but hard. 

There are a couple things that I learned while going through commentaries and studies of this passage.  My flesh would like to ignore certain areas of this passage, but I also know that ignoring this passage equates to mishandling the Word of Truth - this God-breathed book of Life!

1. Bearing Fruit is a product of abiding in Christ, and is only possible when we are "in the vine."
2. Bearing Fruit is a product of God's faithful and loving process called, "pruning."

Abiding in Christ (by using practical methods of staying close to Him, like bible study, prayer and Sunday services) is okey dokey with me!  I love gaining knowledge about my Savior and Friend.  I look forward to God's fashioning my heart in the mornings, or times when I can sit and rest in His Word with the added bonus of caffeine stimulant.
The part I want to ignore?  The pruning.  Honestly, who wants that??  I've seen pruning shears and they're wickedly sharp, even when dull!  Not to mention the sinister shape of their jaws.  Yikes! 
But, I think I have it backwards where I believe that in some way God is going to produce much fruit through me if I am comfortable, stationary, and basically sedentary.  Would my husband feel honored and respected by my complacency in our marriage.  What about my kids?  Are they going to understand the love of God through my over/under reactions to difficult situations?  Similarly, God requires action on my part to deepen and nurture our relationship.  I not only need to meet with Him for devotions during quiet times; I need to meet Him in the difficulties He uses to shape my character and walk.

My husband longs to be pursued regardless of ahem…hormones or "moods."  And for my kids, seeing mommy handle a situation with grace and dignity - abiding in the promises of God - will bring them a lot closer to knowing the beautiful heart of Jesus, than would if I never went through trials.  And trust me, we've had some doozies.

Used Arteza Watercolor Brush Markers to achieve this blended look.

In my core, I WANT to bear fruit for Jesus.  I long to be a bearer of His image and torch of His gospel.  But the one way to doing that is to remain in His word, regardless of the present circumstances.  It's E.S.S.E.N.T.I.A.L.  Though we want to resist hurts to my heart, or problems in my family, or issues in relationships, they certainly aid in becoming a light, even if a small one.  Even while I write this, I'm smiling because it's something that I ask for with eyes squeezed shut and fingers practically crossed.  Hard times are, well, HARD!  The God-breathed book accounts for this, and says, "Brothers, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials…" (James 1:2-3)  Trials produce some of the most heavenly-imfused fruit we could ever imagine!  Part of the "fruit" is just being known and identified as a true disciple of God. (John 15:8)  

Then later in James we are encouraged to suffer with patience.  "Be patient…until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient." (5:7-8)

Is bearing fruit easy?  In no way.  In every sense, bearing fruit takes action.  It takes work.  It takes intentionality and it takes time.  BUT GOD is faithful in His working to produce in me - in you - the fruit of His Spirit.  

Love.  Joy.  Peace.  Patience.  Kindness, and you know the rest. 

Spend time in God's inspired Word to us.  Spend time praying, meditating, and reflecting.  Spend time coming to understand who He says He is, so that when the trials, tribulations, and temptations come, you are ready, and you will be fruitful!

Much love,

Deeds