the YOU of Isaiah 26:3

Hello dear friends!  

Welcome back to the Creative Worship Blog for Sweet n Sassy Stamps!

Today, I put together a bit of a tutorial as to how to make a tip-in that looks like a small piece of artwork for your Bible, for a frame, for a friend...
Let me tell you that it is NOT difficult, it is NOT complex, it IS fun, and it DOES help when it comes to learning how to work with water and pigment. 
I pulled a couple Distress Oxides from the shelf and began working in a watercolor technique by just adding water.  Simply, you stamp the entire pad onto a smooth working surface (craft mat, piece of acetate, etc.) and spritz  water into the pigment until it's nice and wet.  Don't over water; you could potentially lose all that wonderful color!  

Begin by masking the edges for a straight border

Add water to the Distress Oxide and apply liberally, using more
pigment in places than others.

Then start painting like you would with actual watercolor discs, crayons, or pencils.  They work pretty much in the same way, only for some reason I LOVE how easy and fast it is to work with Oxides.
Blending colors is big - make sure that when you use a blue, you also incorporate a bit of the blue into the other colors used, particularly when trying to achieve a sunset/sunrise.  Most sunrises/sunsets are not one color on top of another, but rather several colors intertwined to produce a beautiful sighting of God's glory!

I used Landscape Silhouettes and Sweet and Simple Alpha
(Affiliate link below)

I filled in the bottom of the image with a Faber Castell brush pen
to produce a greater horizon.

Layering is key, so after the initial color is laid down, allow it to dry (or use a heat gun) and continue to add more color as you desire.  Typically I use a deep blue, a nice purple, a yellow and a red for an image like this one.  Once that step is done, you can begin stamping those lovely silhouette images for a drastic contrast and lovely portrait!

Sisters and brothers, a couple weeks ago, God handed me yet another verse that blew me away though I'd read it and thought on it numerous times beforehand:
"YOU will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is dependent on YOU, because it trusts in YOU."  (Isaiah 26:3, emphasis mine to help us see the centrality of this verse)

Can I tell you something God's Word says about God's Word?
"The Word of the Lord is living and active.  Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "  (Hebrews 4:12)

So when the Lord hands over a piece of His heart, you know that it can only mean one thing: it's GOING TO WORK!
This working had its place in me; a timely word spoken!  A necessary word breathed straight into my marrow!  The life that it gave me at that time was enough to take a heart full of trouble and a mind full of lies, clean them up, and set them back up again.  I was burdened - OVERLOADED - with thoughts that were simply not true, and worries unfounded as, according to the Bible, those that have no place!
The verse in Isaiah was what brought a mind whirring with doubts about the future back into focus on God's love. 
Perfect love casts out fear, and as promised, those who fear only God will indeed have peace. 

I used a white gel pen to give a highlight to the word, "YOU"

Remove the masking and trim down to the desirable size card.

When I posted a page from my Bible a couple weeks back, I asked two questions:
The pre-occupation of my heart…who is it?
The thoughts of my mind…what are they?

IF the answer to EITHER of those questions is ANYTHING other than the Lord God Almighty, then I WILL NOT have peace; this promise will go waiting for me to grab hold and make it mine. 
When giving ourselves over to "what if's" and "who knows," our minds become the very place our adversary - the Devil - can play the game he's always played with the souls of man: doubt God, and deny God. 
BUT if we are staying our minds - thinking on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy," (Phil. 4:8) - on the eternal, loving Father, we will be at peace.
We WILL have peace.
WE will HAVE peace.
We will have PEACE.

Just think about the last time you encountered something disconcerting, terrifying, confusing, destroying, disappointing…
Were your thoughts about His truth?
Were your thoughts right?
Were your thoughts lovely?

Refusing our natural inclination to worry already sets us ahead of the situation and the ploys of the one who wants to devour us. 
Rejecting the lies our enemy sets as snares, to listen to God's voice on a matter, places us in the hands of the One who can fight and win!

Peace comes to us by keeping our preoccupations on His word, because His yoke is easy. 

Peace comes to us by letting the Lord do His work, because ultimately it pleases Him to do so.
 

Today, are you worried?
Ask yourself, what are you thinking? 
Who are you thinking about?
Remember, peace for a troubled heart comes by way of fixing our eyes - our very THOUGHTS - on the Lord that loves you, and cares for your precious heart so very much!

Much love,

Deeds
IG: @mercies_journaled
Affiliate Link for stamps: http://www.sweetnsassystamps.com?aff=7  (Thank you very much in advance!)

Landscape Silhouettes

Sweet and Simple Alpha Stamps

My house, Your home

24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:24-32 NLT

Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus here but the Lord was speaking to me as if it were fresh rhema directly to me. I'm not sure if when you read that passage it spoke to you like it did me but man, God began to speak to me about holiness right off the bat and continued to speak various things to me throughout. 

I kept reading...

Verse 26 tells of something we practice in our marriage. Like any good marriage we have our disagreements and "heated discussions". The principle here is to not go to bed on unresolved anger as it allows the enemy to accuse your spouse before you. Needless to say there have been many a late night in our house. :)-

I kept reading...

In verse 29 it talks of using foul language and I've never been one to talk trashy or cuss however the rest of that verse is more convicting. See, it was here that I felt the biggest conviction from the Holy Spirit. "Your words should be an encouragement to all those who hear them". Boom! Right there I knew God was trying to prune me in the area of talking to my kids & my husband in my own home. Anyone else have a problem with their mouth getting them into trouble?? We are comfortable at our own house & most comfortable with the people in our house. This leads us to say things that we would never imagine saying to other people. Words are powerful and they need to be an encouragement to EVERYONE - not just those we minister to or see at church, work, or school. Lord have mercy on us! 

As a homeschooling mom the amount of words spoken to my kids far out weigh all the others I speak to on a daily basis. But it's my words that are shaping my kids.

As if I wasn't already convicted enough the crescendo in verse 30 stopped me dead in my tracks. "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit or bring sorry to God by how I live". Sure, I know what you are thinking... I would never do that. Truth be told, we are guilty of this more than we realize. We as Christians walk upright before the Lord as best we can but so many times, without even knowing it, we grieve the Holy Spirit of God. 

What the Lord was speaking so clearly to me through this passage was that my house was often not a very good place for Him to dwell. At times I have dishonored my husband with my words, I have spoke condescendingly to my kids, and allowed my emotions to control me and act in ways I shouldn't. These things grieve the Lord and many a day God has not been comfortable in my house because of these things. He simply can't be "at home" in my house unless I create an atmosphere for Him to dwell and abide there. This brings me to a place of repentance and tears knowing that my actions could be hurting the heart of my Father. 
You may ask yourself what types of things would grieve God's spirit or cause Him to not feel at home in your house? I'm glad you asked. Verse 31-32 sums it up for us. Getting rid of our harsh words, our anger, bitterness and evil behavior. Trade those out for kindness, tenderness & forgiveness and you will make God "at home in your house".  

Art:
1. Stamp and fussy cut all your paper pieces out then assemble with glue pen. I used the Illustrated Faith Seeds of Faith, She Blooms, & Delight in His Day paper collections. 

2. Using Derwent Inktense pencils lay a watercolor wash to the background. Mist the whole page with water then using a water brush pick up the color directly from the pencil and apply to page.

My verse was at the bottom of the page so I needed to modify where I put the 'grass'. I felt a lil scrappy so I just went with it. :) Hope you learn something new!

Grab your Love Your Neighbor set here.

Follow me on IG at icolorinmybible

In Him,

Elizabeth