Like That City

 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

Hi Friends!

We take light for granted. We take for granted that the sun will come up in the morning. We take for granted that when we flip a switch in our homes, light will come on. Do we also take for granted that Christ's light is shining somewhere by someone in this world? Here's the thing, we can't leave it up to someone else. WE are to be that light. Christ told us so in Matthew 5:14. It's our duty as Christ followers to shine the light He's given us. We can't take it for granted. We have to work to shine in this dark world. The great thing about light is that darkness can't compete with it. Darkness can't overcome light. Whenever, wherever, light is found, darkness disappears. So, church, we have a lot of work to do. And we need to start in our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities and our communities. But the best news, y'all, is we don't have to do it alone- we do it by the power of the Holy Spirit, God Himself. When we shine Christ's light, we glorify Him (Matt 5:16). And that's our purpose here on earth.

I like the song by Third Day, "City on a Hill." Here are some of the lyrics:

A city on a hill cannot be hidden

Standing tall before all men

To show the things that it's been given

And everything that it can give

Just like that city on a hillside

We got a light that's deep within us

No, don't keep it to yourself

Just remember how you felt

When you first gave your life to Jesus

So how do we shine Jesus' light? We study God's Word and share it with others. We love and serve others. We point others to Jesus. Shine, friends, shine!

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Wonder of Wonders, Shine Your Light, and Trust in the Lord. I also used the Rise & Shine Stencil. Wonder of Wonders has some great images, one of them being the city I used on the page. I stamped the city and drew the hill with a Micron pen. I colored the hill and sky with chalk pastels. I colored the city with Prismacolor pencils. Then I stamped the words in the sky and handlettered part of the lyrics on the hill.

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Star Light, Star Bright

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11

Merry Christmas, Friends!

I hope your Christmas was filled with Christ. Before Christmas day this year, many of us were looking up into the night sky to see the "Christmas star." Jupiter and Saturn aligned which produced what looked to us as a bright star. While this alignment of planets was beautiful, I don't think it was anything like the star of Bethlehem. There are many theories as to what that star was- a meteor, a comet, a nova or supernova, or an alignment of planets. That's the most likely scientific explanation. In fact, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn did indeed align in 6 BC. We humans seem to want a scientific explanation. Something that backs up what the Bible says. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's cool when we find scientific evidence that backs up what the Bible says. But here's the thing-

GOD DOESN'T NEED SCIENCE TO BACK HIM UP! Our God is so amazing that He can make nature do anything He wants. This is the Creator God who created everything out of nothing. Creating one star would have been nothing to Him. And, He's a God of miracles. By definition, miracles defy scientific explanation. Sure, He could have used the alignment of planets to guide the wise men. But He could have just as easily created a special star for the specific purpose of guiding them to the King of kings, the Light of the world. No, I don't believe that star was a rare, natural occurrence. I believe that star was a one-time-only, supernatural miracle created by our great God to guide the wise men to His Son.

Hubert J. Bernhard was a lecturer at the San Francisco Morrison Planetarium in the 1960s who spoke on the star of Bethlehem. Near the end of his lecture, he said this, "If you accept the story told in the Bible as the literal truth, then the Christmas Star could not have been a natural apparition. Its movements in the sky and its ability to stand above and mark a single building; these would indicate that it was not a normal phenomenon, but a supernatural sign. One given from on high and one that science will never be able to explain."

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: I AM, Shine Your Light, Marker Alpha, and the baby Jesus is from a retired Christmas set. I started the page by stamping baby Jesus. Then I drew the star and the stained glass lines. I used distress oxides to color the background. I used washi tape to mask each stained glass area and then used a sponge dauber to apply the inks. After the background was colored, I stamped the words. I stamped "star" onto sticker paper to make it stand out a little. I also stamped "light" on sticker paper and cut out the letters to make it stand out for "Light of the world." I used a white pen to accent "light" and "world" as well. It was a fun page to do while meditating on Christ's birth.

As we move into the New Year, I pray that we may be like the wise men- focused on Jesus and worshiping Him each and every day. Let Him be your Light!

Have a blessed week! Andrea

Glow, Shine, & Sparkle!

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Luke 11:33

Hi sweet friends,

Today we are in Luke where Jesus is talking about light. We know about light and darkness. We see it in our everyday lives. Light illuminates the darkness. And of course, Jesus is The Light. Jesus and His truth must not be hidden. We must live in a way that Jesus is seen by others. That's what verse 33 is saying.

In Luke 11:34-36, Jesus goes on to say, "Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part of dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light." What does this mean? I think it is talking about our response to Jesus. If we see Jesus for who He is- the Son of God, the Savior of the world, then we are filled with His light. If we do not see Him for who He is, then we remain in darkness. In verse 35, Jesus cautions us about the light in us being darkness. There are many things in this world that are bright and attractive. And they may keep us from seeing the True Light. If we are seeking the world's "light" instead of Jesus, we will be filled with darkness.

John Piper said, "Christ is the glory we were made to see. His light alone will fill us and give the light of life and meaning to every part of our lives. And when that happens, we ourselves will shine and give off the rays of Christ." So, my friends, glow! Shine! Sparkle Him out to all you meet!

Page Details: I used the Shine Your Light set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I used watercolor crayons and a white pen as well.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! Andrea

What Guides You?

What guides me through life?

That's a question that could be answered a million different ways.  I have certainly used experience to help me determine a course of action.  I regularly seek the advice of family and friends.  I have even allowed social media (or the media in general) to influence my feelings.

While some of these options are certainly better than the latter, my best and most reliable option for guidance is the Word of God.  

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

               Psalms 119:105

The world can be a dark and dangerous place, but the word of God is our light.  The Bible is our compass, meant to guide our steps and teach us how to walk as Christians. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says,

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Let's be guided by the light. 

Crafty details:

I started this page by blending some Distress Oxide inks on the page, being sure to leave a light area where my lantern was going to hang.  I stamped the beautiful lantern from the new Shine Your Light set and painted it with Tarnished Brass Distress paint.  I painted the tree using Distress paint and stamp the leaves with several shades of brown oxide inks.  The leaves, flowers and grasses are all from the Nature Silhouettes set.   I stamped my title with words from the Shine Your Light and Way Maker sets.  I added some paint splatters to finish off the page.

Until next time, catch up with me on Instagram and Facebook @simplyjillsjourney.

Jill

 

 

 

Shine Like Stars

Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Philippians 2:14-16a

Dear Friends,

This has been a rough week. Here in America, we're all probably feeling a little weary no matter which candidate we support. So what do we do now? As believers in the one true King, what do we do? Philippians 2:14-16a tells us what we do- we shine like stars. Are we shining our own light? Oh no, my friends, we are shining HIS light. We are reflecting Him to this broken and hurting world. So let's break down these verses.

1. Do everything without grumbling and arguing: If you've been on Facebook or Twitter or watched the news lately, you know there is a lot of grumbling and arguing. The sad thing is is that believers are wrapped up in it just as much as non-believers. We need to stop! Through Paul, God didn't say just do some things without grumbling and arguing. He said do EVERYTHING without it. I need to improve myself. I haven't gotten involved in political battles online or in person, but do I grumble to myself? Yes. Do I argue with the TV? Yes. Do I gripe at posts? Yes. We need to do better. When we are acting like the world, we are not sharing Jesus' light or His love as we are called to do. We can't draw others to Christ if we are at war with them.
2. So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation: This is the reason WHY we should not grumble and argue. This world is definitely crooked and perverted. But we should not be! God is in complete control. None of this surprises Him. He's not worried. And no matter who ends up in the White House, God's purpose will be done.
3. Among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life: When we live differently than the world, when we don't grumble and argue as the world does, we shine like stars. I love that CSB translation. We shine God's light in this dark world and people are drawn to Him. Isn't that what we want? All these people we disagree with, isn't what we want that they too know Jesus? Our country, our world is hurting. Our country, our world needs Jesus. Let's shine. And we shine by holding firm to the word of life, His truth. Hold firm, my friends, hold firm to His word.  

My phone had an update the weekend before the election. One of the updates was that I could add a verse of the day to my home screen so I did. The day after the election this was the verse that popped up on my screen: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) What a reassurance that was. Jesus is on His throne. He was on it yesterday, and He will remain there always no matter what happens in this world.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Shine Your Light, Texture Tiles 8, Playful Alpha, Marker Alpha. The background was done with watercolor crayons. I just wet my brush, gather color on the brush from the tip of the crayon, and pounce the brush on the page. I also used glitter glue to make some of the words and the stars sparkle.

 

Sparkle for Him this week! Blessings, Andrea

Walk in the Light

Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." 

Jesus is described as the Light of the World in John 8, and in chapter 12 He implores his disciples to walk in the Light while the Light was with them. While we don't have Jesus living bodily among us today, we do have the Holy Spirit living within us to help guide and direct us to walk in light rather than darkness. 

Gelatos are not my favorite medium, but I decided to give them a try in this "Walk in the Light" themed page. I followed a YouTube tutorial from the wonderful Deeds in which she walks through how she uses gelatos and it was actually fun! I used gelatos for the gray background and glow of the lights, and then my Tombow dual brush markers for the Chinese lanterns as I really wanted those to pop. I embossed the title in black embossing powder to make that pop as well. I love how it turned out!

Launch day is always exciting at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, but this launch day is even more exciting because November is SNSS 13th birthday month! Stay tuned for special surprises all month long! I used the Shine Your Light stamp set to create this page, and you can scoop up this stamp set in the November Early Bird Bundle through November 9th. 

  

Have a blessed week, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy