Truth Bomb Cards

Makin' me some "Truth Bomb Cards" for those who need a good word!

Hello Sweet n Sassy Stamping friends!!

Deeds here with another round of mass production.  But, this time I'm doing what I call "Truth Bomb" cards.  As I continue to "love" Bibles and give them to those the Lord lays on my heart, I find these incredibly helpful and definitely a means of connecting!  I have all the stamp sets I used below and the affiliate links in their captions!  Thank you so much in advance for using those links; I very much appreciate it!

I started with Lyra Watercolor crayons as my base.

Adding water to primary colors is a sure-fire way to get a bright palette!

God is gracious in so many ways, and one of them is to just allow me to minister to people (young adult females, particularly) in their walk and journey with Christ.
But having worked alongside a team of leaders for our church body's youth group, I've also come across some very saddening and disheartening situations.  Conversations between young ladies heading into their adulting years have burdened me so much...

I used to be there.
I used to have those same thoughts.
I used to feel that way about myself.
I used to believe the lies of others and
I used to believe the lies I told myself.
I used to ache with loneliness.
I used to wish for companionship.
I used to long for true love.
I used to mourn over lost "love."
I used to develop a cold exterior post-rejection.

This sheet of watercolor paper can be divided into 9 sections
of 3x4 "truth bomb" cards!

It hit me that there is something in young lives that truly needs attention while younger to aid in growth and maturity when older.  Even as an adult, I still struggle with these things, and I praise God for this chance to land a piece of His truth on someone!  Even if it's quickly dismissed, some young lady will know, "Deeds loved big.  Deeds loved hard."  Through this, I pray to glorify the Lord, amen?

So that's why I made these using the set, "In His Image," which is PERFECT PERFECT for such a thing as Truth Bomb cards.  Hopefully, this will be a constant reminder to someone, somewhere, in some phase of life that "Yes!  I have a Maker.  He loves me.  He adores me.  He's created me for a reason and WITH A PURPOSE!"
The intent and idea is to purposefully and lovingly instill truth where lies have worn down and made bleak.  Where pain has (perhaps unknowingly) taken root, and bitterness resides.  Where schemes of the Devil have ripped open tender parts of the Jesus-bought soul.  They exist!  Deep down, they exist, and what an opportunity to refresh another sister in Christ with healing straight from the Word of God!

People are important.
Lives are valuable.
Time is short.
Speak life into those around you and spread the grace of our Lord to each other!
We need it; I need it.
Until glory:
There will always be a heart that needs mending.
There will always be a life that needs saving.
There will always be room for encouragement.

Here's a few passages you can use to share truth and love with another:
Psalm 139:13-14
"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  Marvelous are Your works, LORD, and my soul knows it!"

Genesis 1:27
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!"

Isaiah 42:5
"This is what God the LORD says - the Creator of heavens who stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it."

Job 12:10
"In His hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

Just as a side note, these are a mere few of the truths found in the Word of God that can aid the aching of our hearts to be accepted, cherished, chosen and loved.  There are so much more, and when you read His Word, He will indeed inspire you.  If you ask, He will answer you.  If you seek, you'll find.
His promises are yes and amen in Jesus Christ!
Such a breath of fresh air is welcome, wouldn't you say?

Much love,
Deeds

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here.

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here!

Thank you for using my affiliate link for this set here!

Heavy Hearted

Jesus heals the heavy heart!  Psalm 107 repeats three times, "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He rescued [saved] them from their distress."  This verse is so important, it is repeated three times within one chapter.  The people of Isreal cried out to Jesus when they were troubled and heavy-hearted, and He heard their pleas, their cries for help, their distress.  He healed them!

I

 

I began this page by handpainting with watercolors from Dots'n Dust.  I then stamped the message, and the little words, and stamped the hearts from the Filigree Hearts set.  I loved how this page turned out! 

Healer of My Heart Stamp Set

 Thanks for stopping by!  

Start Somewhere

stamps used: Outline Alpha, Texture Tile 2, and Typewriter Block Alpha from this month's release!

Hey guys, it's Deeds!

Thanks for coming to the blog for Creative Worship Bible Journaling!  Our hearts are daily poured out into this place, and I hope you're encouraged by what you read today.

I've been going through the Bible this year - for the very first time in my life as a Christian - and I've been able to learn so much about God's character from the very beginning words, "In the beginning." 

I finally made it into Nehemiah.  

I like it!  

I like it a lot, and the biggest thing I've learned about Nehemiah is the restorative process through which God reconciles His people to Himself.  It's interesting to me, the picture here in this book that relates to God in His greatness and compassion.

Historical context is summed up in this:

Jerusalem is in ruins; Israel has been scattered, exiled, enslaved by Babylon.  Why?
God's people had adulterated themselves with other gods; the gods of surrounding nations, which also led to intermarrying with the women of these areas and defying God's holy law.  This was the first and foremost commandment broken as they'd mixed and muddled their prayers and worship of the One True God with idols.
It was a sad time.  Super bad.  Super evil. 
Babylon was defeated by King Cyrus of Persia, thereby losing their hold on Israel.
Later on, Cyrus would allow a the captives to return to Jerusalem, at which point they'd begin to reconstruct their city; their home; their lives. 
Opposition comes.
New king comes to power.
Frustration.
Fear sets in.
Enter Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is a cup-bearer for the enemy king, Artaxerxes.  Nehemiah has received news that there is trouble in his homeland.  He is grieved and broken.
The king - by God's gracious handling - notices Nehemiah, and asks him what can be done.  Nehemiah prayerfully considers his response and then asks Artaxerxes for permission to go home and help with the continuation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. 
It's CRAZY the response he gets; Artaxerxes allows it! 
Not ONLY does he allow it; he blesses the mission that would be the return of Nehemiah, Asaph, and a number of other men, for the rebuilding of the walls.

As I ventured to chapter 2, I learned something neat; something powerfully relatable.  The people had more or less discontinued the work, and had become lethargic; unmotivated.  When Nehemiah comes to town, he lets loose with a humbling, stirring message of God; their God.  Their God of grace and mercy.
"Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.'  I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me." (Neh. 2:17-18a)

Pretty moving, huh?

It really was, and here's what the lethargic-turned-energized people say:
"'Let us start rebuilding.' So they began this good work." (v 18b)

A couple of things to note.

The first and foremost is that God is good.  All the time.
Nehemiah's ability to boost morale came from the heart of God.  The heart that God has for His people.  The heart of God that desires what is good, right, best and healthy for His children.  Remembering all that God had done for them, and all that God had brought them through to this point, would be to remember His true character. 
The second thing would come via remembering which is, acting.  Taking action.  Making that move.  Beginning.  Beginning again.  Starting…somewhere. 
This people had faced huge opposition. The foe was daunting, the threats were looming. 
This could very well have caused anyone - everyone - to turn and run, and yet by remembering that God is good, and that God is good all the time, and that "He is the Rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6), one can take step of faith.  One can set that next brick. 

Nehemiah's call to the people was one of strengthening by way of God's strength; empowering by way of God's power.  They (we) are effective in God's work for God's kingdom because of God.  The grace of God. 
Friend, do not feel powerless against the enemy.  He WILL indeed rise up against you and me everyday, but when we remember that it is NOT you, it is NOT me, but it IS God that will prevail in battle, we can trust.  In trusting, we can obey.  In obeying, we will be blessed.  To the glory of God forever and ever!  

Praise God for His reliability and trustworthiness! Amen?

Much love,
Deeds

Find the full February release here!

Script Outline Alpha here

Texture Tile 2 here

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

Come into His Presence

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalm 95:1-2

God is omnipresent--present in reality at all times.  Every believer also has the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit...God present in us.  So why would scripture allude to a "coming into his presence" as though we could be away from it?  

We've had an absolutely stunning fall around our home place this year.  One breathtaking scene after another appears all along the roads in the short distances we travel nearly every day.

I don't know why, but fall brings me into the presence of God in fresh ways every season.  He created me to love color, so when He displays the splendor of His artistry as these photos barely capture, I am so awed by Him.  I know God is always near me, but there are times when I "come into His presence."  These are times I feel closer, I move closer to Him in prayer or through something His Word speaks to me.   

There have been times when I've been brokenhearted and I come into His presence for an extra measure of closeness and comfort.  When I hold my grandson while he sleeps and I ponder the potential of his life, I come into God's presence.  In worship at my church, I feel God tugging at my heart to forget all those around me and just come into His presence.  His presence is sweet, secure and surges with power. 

I fall so short of being able to adequately describe the wonder and awe of coming into God's presence.  But I know when I do, He is always there, always ready to take my spirit to new heights, to deepen my faith and broaden my vision of His plan for me.  And every time, without fail, when I come into His presence I have to bow in thanksgiving.  That incredible, breath-taking moment of feeling the rush of His presence pulls gratitude from the innermost reaches of my soul.  All that He is, all He has done, all He has planned for me, all He will accomplish...all of Him makes me want to run into His presence and always....always with thanksgiving!

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Design Detail:  I just had to pull out my fallish and very fun printable, Sunflowers and Pumpkins for this page.  These are so perfect for the season.  Here I used a clear, matte finish sticker version of my images.  And just because I could, I layered them right on top of each other.  A few simple splashes on the page and words from one of my favorite stamp sets, Incredible Blessed and a very simple page took only minutes to do.  

 

You can check both of these out on the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps store page.