Today and Always Be Thankful

I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart. Psalm 138:1a

Good morning, Friends!

It's so easy for me to take things for granted! When I read this verse, it brought to mind 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks." There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us to be thankful. And we should be! In general, I'm pretty thankful for the "big" stuff. But, as I said, a lot of times, I take the "small" stuff for granted. So this verse was a great reminder for me to stop and be thankful for the little stuff too....that pumpkin spice latte, the laughter of children, the sunset, running water, a call from a friend...so many things to be thankful for. When I focus on what I'm grateful for, it's easier to be joyful and more content all around. So, that's my focus- taking time to be thankful instead of taking things for granted.

For the page, I used 2 new sets and an oldie but goodie set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps: Incredibly Blessed, Fruits of the Spirit, and Fill Me Up. (I had to get that pumpkin spice latte on the page!)

I used watercolor crayons for the background. I used the banner stamp from Incredibly Blessed to make all 3 banners. I just stamped one end, then the other, and filled in the line with a Micron pen for the longer banners.

What are you thankful for? Have a blessed week! Andrea

Pondering

“Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭111:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Recently, I had the privilege of traveling back to Iowa to visit some long time friends. These verses just speak for themselves to describe my thoughts on our visit.

“Praise the Lord! I will thank God with my whole heart.” Yes! I was singing His praise and so full of thankfulness to visit with them. 

“...as I meet with his godly people.” Going to church with my friends and worshiping alongside them was the highlight of my trip.

“How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!” Observing the interaction between my friends and their church family blessed my heart. God is using them tremendously and it was so evident that they were right where they needed to be.

“All who delight in him should ponder them.” May I never cease to be amazed at God and never cease pondering His ways! 



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Art behind the story:

The August 2018 Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps stamp of the month “Give Thanks” was perfect to use for this page. I stamped the leaves and acorns along the edge of the margin, and then stamped the phrase. You’ll notice that the phrase stamp is actually straight, but the image is curved. This effect was achieved by slightly curving the clear stamp as I adhered it to the block. Lastly, I used watercolors to color the images and the background. 

Until next time,

Gayle
Patio Ponderings

Bittersweet Thanks...

Hi friends,

Recently I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a quote that someone shared from a book called Bittersweet from Shauna Niequist, which said 'When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.' Wow, that really hit me in the gut! I've been challenged recently about my attitude of gratitude (or lack thereof!), and looking at the amount of Bible verses that speak of being thankful, I knew I had to journal this.

Colossians chapter 3 contains this tiny little sentence in amongst a bunch of other powerful instructions, which simply says, "And be thankful." That's it. Not caveats, like 'be thankful when life is good' or 'be thankful when you see your prayers answered' or 'be thankful when your relationships are a blessing.' Nope: just 'be thankful.' In all things, in all situations, no matter what. Anyone else find that a struggle? So when I read this quote from Bittersweet, I knew it was God's way of gently teaching me how I can give thanks in all seasons. You see, going through hard times that leave a bitter taste in our mouths can teach us lessons that the good, sweet times can't. I've been through that in the last couple of years and although there have been painful experiences, I know that I've grown in those times and that God has been able to teach me things (mainly by getting my attention in the pain!) that I hadn't learnt before.

 So whether you are tasting the sweetness of pineapple or the bitterness of lemons in your life right now, say thank you, because there is always a blessing to be acknowledged in every season and every experience.

I thought the combination of the Fruit of the Spirit and Incredibly Blessed stamp sets was perfect for this page and this message. I used the masking technique to be able to stamp the images so some appear behind others. Just stamp the first image (in this case the pineapple and first lemon), then stamp them again on a sticky note or low-tack tape/sticky paper and cut the images out. Stick these over the stamped image on the page, then stamp other images either side. When you take the mask off, the original image you stamps will appear in front of the others. Then colour to your heart's content! Here are the stamp sets I used:

I hope you've been encouraged in your thanksgiving to God. I pray that we as children of God would pour out our thanks to Him in every season of life as a testimony to His goodness and grace.

x Amy x

Be Satisfied

"My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying." 

Proverbs 3:1‭-‬2 NLT

Live your life for the Lord.

Soak up His word.

How often do get distracted from those two things? I get lost sometimes. Distracted by the moment. Stuck in the now. I forget His truths. I forget that in Him I find peace.

Trying to find the time to take His words and hide them in my heart. To use those words to give me strength and hope. To recall them and share them with others. So much of life troubles have been answered in His word. And they will SATISFY me.

ART TALK
I used Jane Davenport paints for the background. Then I stamped the words with the new Chunky Lowercase stamp set and the 'be" is from the Shake it Off Caps Alpha set. Then I used Scribble Flowers and stamped that on with Stazon. Next I added some white highlights with my signo pen. Love how it all came together.

Blessings,
Colleen

"Fruit of the Spirit" Bible Verse Mini Flip Book

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." 

(Gal. 5:22-23)

I've had the chance over the last couple of months to do an in-depth study of the Fruit of the Spirit.  What I've discovered is that each fruit is an example of God's character represented in our lives, when we are walking and living by the Holy Spirit.  When I received my new Fruit of the Spirit stamp set, I decided to make a Fruit of the Spirit mini flip-book, with a key verse for each one.  

I started with some flat card fronts that I cut in half (you could easily use unlined index cards).  I started by stamping a fruit image onto each card, and then I adding one of the fruit words.

To do this I used a variety of alpha sets, including the new Chunky Lowercase, Skinny Minnie, Bitty Minnie, and Script Outline sets, as well as the Life in Jesus set.  

I added detailing to some of the letters with a while Uniball Signo Gel Pen. I also made a title card with all the fruit images around the border of the card.  

Next, I added color to each card by smooshing the ink from various Pitt Big Brush Markers. The point was to make the color look juicy and wet and spilled. 

I made an extra full card with the smooshed color, and then punched out tabs for my fruit cards. I hand-lettered each tab with the corresponding fruit, and attached it with a tiny stapler. 

Next, I splattered black watercolor paint to the cards with a thin paintbrush to contrast with the bright fruity colors. 

After that, I stamped the verse reference onto labels with the Bitty Minnie alpha, and embellished with some colorful enamel shapes. 

I then wrote out the Bible verses onto the backs of each card.  Finally, I punched holes into the corners of the cards, attached them together with a ring binder, and tied some colorful fabric bows onto the ring.

This mini-book can help me memorize and reflect on the key verses for each Spirit-fruit.  I love the finished product.  As a matter of fact, if you are planning on attending the Creative Worship Bible Journaling Retreat in September, I'm going to be leading a class on how to make these mini-books!  

May God bless you as you learn to grow and walk in the Spirit, and produce character fruit for Him! 

--Julie

"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! 

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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

Directing our children...

Proverbs 22:6

"Direct your children onto the right path, 

and when they are older, they will not leave it."

It's almost the middle of August and we have all seen the back-to-school commercials, store displays and flyers. Everyone is getting ready to send their kids back to school after a short and fun summer. For me, it will be my first time officially sending my kid off to school. In the fall my oldest child will start kindergarten! How did this happen?!? I'm excited but also scared. My heart is filled with so many emotions as we get ready to start this new chapter in her life, that all I can really do to prepare is pray. 

I stay home with my kids so sending her off to full time school is opening a whole new world for her. She seems pretty excited and I show her how excited I am for her, but inside I hide the little fears and anxious feelings I hold about this big change for all of us. Before now, her world basically consisted in the confines of our house, friends, and family. Now, she will be venturing out into to world of public schools. I have heard from friends that its a great school..... but I struggle with how much is out of my control. 

Even knowing that much is out of my control, I know I can find comfort in God. When I am not with her, He will be with her each day! And I also need to find comfort and hope in all of the things I have done to prepare her for her first days of school. I pray that she remembers the things I have told her about how we treat others, being polite, being patient, respectful, and the list goes on. And above all I pray she has fun, makes new friends, and learns a lot! Though this is my first child, I imagine every parent has these worries as a new school year approaches. We all need to pray for wisdom for our children as they enter another school year. So many new things and new challenges. But, I hope that will everything my husband and I have taught her so far, she will have a great first year, and we will be right by her side the whole way!

So to finish my page I wrote a small note to Madison to read in the future. I did this entry in the bible I have been working on for her. This bible has various different mementos from her early years, so this page in honor of her starting Kindergarten will be a great one for her to look back on. 

Blessings on all the students, teachers, and parents as everyone heads back to school in the fall!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

Words of Wisdom Printable Bundle

Chunky Lowercase Alpha 

Seek Him

Teeny Alpha

Hello My Name Is

Texture Tiles 3