All Things New

 "And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'” (Revelation 2:5)

We've had one week of 2021 now. We all hoped that 2020 was behind us, and that 2021 would bring some normalcy back. But this year is already starting with craziness and chaos. The events of this week have pushed back any idea that life would get back to normal. But God never promised us "normal" and problem-free living. He only promised to be with us in whatever we face. When life is too normal, we get too comfortable and complacent. I don't know about you, but 2020 taught me to keep more focused on things above, because things of this world were just too depressing and worrisome.

Revelation 2:5 promises us that God is making all things new, even if 2021 isn't the answer, and of course it isn't. The Bible tells us that this world will only get more challenging as we suffer its sin-sick consequences, and expectantly wait for the Second Coming.  But that day is coming, and THEN He will make all things new. No more Covid-19, no more masks, no more sickness and death. No more political division, no more social and financial instability, and no more racial unrest.  God will make a perfectly problem-free world where we can dwell with Him forever. Until that time, though, we must hold to His promises and His gain strength from His word.  

I created this page while I was at a camp with my family for the New Year's weekend.  Getting back to nature is always restorative and renewing for me, and that's just what this time away provided for me.  Camp Kulaqua is in north Florida, and the weather was typical Florida-winter mild.  The leaves crunched under my feet as I walked outside in the woods.  On two separate occasions, I saw a group of seven young deer. Their spotted backs and small size spoke of a newness and innocence.  How trusting these sweet fawn were as they eyed me from behind the trees.  

Like these younglings represent, we will soon enough see the newness and rebirth of life on this earth.  I pray daily for His soon return, and for the hearts of those who yet need to be reached.  

For this page, I used the fun, new Lollipop Alpha stamp set.  I also used Fur-ever Friends which includes this fawn image.  I masked the deer and the leaves so the image lines didn't intersect, thereby creating a more realistic and uniform picture.  I colored everything with watercolor pencils and then blended them with a wet paint brush.  I finished with a simply drawn border, washi tape, a tab, and splatters.

You can check out how this page came together in a process video over on my YouTube channel or by clicking the video link below.  The products I used are linked below the video (some are affiliate links).  

https://youtu.be/HGDPFFe8jyA

Fur-ever Friends

Lollipop Alpha

Products Used:

Watercolor Pencils

ESV Interleaved Bible

Tonic Studios Glass Media Mat (SBC) or Amazon

Water Brushes:

(Scrapbook.com)

(Adornit)

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Stamp Shammy Cleaner

Heat Tool

Illustrating Bible Mat

Clear Acrylic Blocks

Precision Pens

Signo Uni-ball White Gel Pen

Craft Scissors SBC or Amazon

Illustrated Faith Date Stamp

Tab Punch SBC or Amazon

Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (Mini-Stapler) SBC or Amazon

Illustrated Faith Watercolor Paint set

Signo Uni-ball White Gel Pen

Pitt Big Brush Pens (White #101)

Washi tape from stash

Don't Fight Naked

I may be dating myself by referencing this, but I remember a "Fight Naked" t-shirt trend.  I wouldn't go so far as to say they were popular, at least not among my high school crowd.  Neither me nor my friends would ever wear one--we thought they were more of a joke.  I'm not sure when or why the trend started.  Some clever person, however, took that theme and applied it to Ephesians 6, where the Bible talks about the armor of God, and make t-shirts with the phrase, "Don't fight naked!  Put on the Armor of God!"  Now that's a t-shirt I would wear!  So I knew I had to journal this phrase in my Bible using the Armor of God stamp set. 

We are fighting spiritual battles everyday, and unless we put on God's full armor--the Shoes of the gospel of peace, the Breastplate of righteousness, the Shield of faith, the Sword of the Spirit, the Helmet of salvation, and the Belt of truth--we are indeed fighting naked.  Without God's spiritual weapons to help us, we are powerless against Satan's flaming darts and wiles.  So get dressed, brothers and sisters!  Don't fight naked!

I created this collage page in my interleaved Bible with Distress oxides and stamps.  I began by stamping each of the images onto sticky notes and cutting them out to be used as masks.  I then used the colors Worn Lipstick, Tumbled Glass, and Mustard Seed to stamp the various images onto the page.  I masked each image as I sponged around them in varying colors, overlapping the colors in places.  Next, I stamped the words in the same colors.  I used some water on the background to give the distress oxides a distressed, layered effect, then dried it with my heat tool.  Black texture is always good to add, so I splattered some paint and used Texture Tiles 1 to stamp some grid texture.  I used Lowercase Chunky Alpha for the title, and added detailing with a white gel pen.  I finished by drawing lines around the edges of the page with a black pen, stamping the date, and journaling a prayer.  I also created a tag using the same process, that I could clip to the opposite page. 

Don't leave your house naked!  Make sure to dress yourself in the armor of God!  

God bless--

Julie