Correction and Instruction...

Hi friends,

One of the truths that I have grown to really believe and value is the importance of instruction in my life. Now, to be fair, I love to learn - I love reading and studying and finding out new things, whether that be about the Bible or about learning to paint. I am someone who loves knowledge. Sometimes I forget that this applies to other areas of my life as well, for example relationships and health. It's all too easy to go on auto-pilot in these areas and forget that learning is still required in order to grow.

One particular aspect of learning that I am not so quick to love is correction. Maybe it's the perfectionist in me, the desire to be right (pride!!), but I have been overly sensitive to correction in the past. I am slowly learning that correction is absolutely vital to life and growth, because as humans we never get it right all the time! We need to be shown when we have missed the mark, or could do better in some area, no matter how painful that might be. Instead of viewing correction and criticism as a personal attack or statement about our intrinsic worth, we need to embrace it as a God-given gift to help us grow.

Proverbs 6:23 speaks of the commandment being a lamp and teaching being a light. It goes on to say that correction and instruction are the way to life. Just like beautiful flowers need tending and pruning to become the best they can be, we require correction and instruction to live the life God has created us to live, as followers of Christ and ambassadors of his kingdom. Let's not avoid correction and instruction, or react in an overly sensitive way when it comes our way. Instead, let's embrace God's gracious gifts to help us grow!

I had fun playing with this month's Stamp of the Month, Doodle Florals, on this page, watercolouring the stamped images with Prima's Classics palette. I stamped the verse using a combination of Bitty Minnie Alpha, Typewriter Blocks Alpha and Life in Jesus.

Thank you Lord for your gracious instruction and correction in our lives in all its forms!

x Amy x

A New Command

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Jesus shares this "new command" with His disciples at the last supper.  He has just shared the Passover meal with them, intimately and humbly washed their feet, predicted His betrayal by Judas, and told the disciples of His leaving them, and is about to tell Peter of his denials. Jesus fits this new command among these significant happenings, because the disciples need to be reminded of the purpose of Jesus' ministry, and of what their ministry will be after He leaves.  To show the love of God to the world.  Jesus dying on the Cross for humankind is the greatest demonstration of this love (Romans 5:8). Our job--what He "commands" of us--is to also show love to those around us.  That is how people will know we are His disciples!  That is how they will come to know God's true character.  

I created this sweet and simple page (or maybe I should say "sweet and sassy" page) with the new Genuine Love set, which is part of the March release.  It is full of flower pieces for creating bundles and bouquets, as well as hearts and arrows.  I chose to use the latter elements for this page.  I stamped the words "love one another" down the entire page, darker on the top and lighter on the bottom.  I stamped the heart image three times, plus an extra one on card stock to cut out for my tab on top.  I created an gradient effect by blending lighter and darker pinks in the middle of the stamp.  I used the arrow to point to the specific verse.  I then stamped the title using Typewrite Block Alpha set, which has become my go-to alphabet set!  I added washi tape, and sponged the edges of the page and around the verse.  Finally, I added black splatter paint. Voila!  A sweet and simple page!

Check out all the new stamp sets released this month, but don't forget the amazing sets released previously too!  You can use the links below to find your favorite sets or products.

GENUINE LOVE

TYPEWRITER BLOCK ALPHA

God Knows It All....

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I don't know about you guys, but lately I have found myself asking why? a lot. So many things happen to us in the course of our lives that we don't understand, can't find a reason for, and don't have the answers to our questions. You ever feel like that? I'm sure many of you struggle with trying to control our own lives, make every decision about everything we do. And sometimes it's not until everything comes crashing down around us that we actually stop, and realize... wait a minute... I can't control everything, this just isn't working!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God is the only one who knows the paths we are meant to take in life. He is all powerful and all knowing all the time! We may think we know want plan we have for ourselves, but you know what they say, "Tell God your plans and listen to him laugh." Have you ever tried to complete a puzzle when you couldn't see the picture on the front of the box?? Our lives are like a puzzle. We see all the different pieces of this massive puzzle and we are always struggling, trying to put the pieces together, but God is the only one that knows what the final picture is! We must seek his guidance in the decisions we make throughout our lives, and ask God what HIS plans are for us and what HE would like for us to do.

I currently have some recent events happen in my life that have left me asking God so many questions. I am trying to cope with the unexpected loss of my father almost 2 months ago. That is a huge concept in itself when it wasn't something anyone was expecting. So many unanswered questions that we will never have the answers to until we ourselves make it to heavens gates. I have been reminding myself that God's timing is perfect, even when I don't understand it and flat out don't like it, to be completely honest. Once again, only God knows the plans he has for us, only He can see the big picture. I have another life changing event coming up soon, the birth of our third daughter. We're excited and anxious to meet her, but next week I will be full term and my husband has to be out of town for the entire week. Why? Why now does he have to go? I'm very nervous that the baby may come and he won't be able to make it back in time. But... I am putting my faith in God and trusting in him knowing that He knows exactly what will happen and hopefully everything will be ok. I'm still not happy about my husband being gone, but trying to be calm and rest in the Lord about it, and praying it will all work out smoothly.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose."

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

@faith.and.creativity

All in All

Whimsy Bouquet 

Bitty Minnie Alpha 

Incredibly Blessed

God of Grace & Mercy

Hey guys!
It's March!!! Can you believe?  I mean, can you? 
In some ways, I feel like I'm stuck in January and unable to move forward; at the same time, how did we already make it to the month where the sun makes promises of warmth? 
It's mind-blowing!  And here we are.

Today, I'm in Nehemiah.  I LOVE this book.  You guys, if you have a chance to read Nehemiah, and if you should have your note-takers journals and pens handy, I would strongly recommend!  It's the other thing right now that I cannot believe I'm a part of.
Nehemiah.
Do you remember the process video I did back in February in this book?  If you haven't seen it already, the link is right here.  Through this video, I explain a bit more of where the people of Israel have been, what they've done, and how far they've come.  In this context, we meet Nehemiah now in chapter 9.

baby wipe with acrylic paint technique

Nehemiah chapter 9 and following (somewhat like the rest of Israelite history) is a bittersweet combination of a rebellious-turned-right-turned-rebellious people and a God that contains His wrath and justice to bring about His grace and mercy.
"Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes."  (Neh. 9:32a)
This is a request of Nehemiah that follows tightly on the heals of something that he'd just expressed from his heart of ache and plight.
"But in Your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God."  (v.31)
The God of the Bible - the same God of today - has far-reaching hands as He works (with delight, may I add?) to restore a people to Himself.  This same God does not tolerate idolatry of this people and carefully, with the most amazing and appropriate mixture of holiness and grace, guides them again into His fold.  He will not leave them.  He will not abandon them.  He will instruct them, which to some may come as an extreme move on His part, but for the fickle and the flighty,  He does what it absolutely necessary.
I don't think I'm alone when I think about how ridiculous it was for God to have given Israel so many chances; so many opportunities to come through and remain faithful.  SO MANY!  It's embarrassing to the same degree that the Lord chases me down and uses this same Fatherly chastising to bring a daughter (wayward and wandering), to the acknowledgment of who He is once again.  Many, many times.  Too many times.

Did you by chance catch the verse above?  The one about the "gracious and merciful God?" 

Let me try to dumb this down for us a bit: WITHOUT THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD THERE WOULD BE NO US.  Humanity at its best would still be a pile of rubble; rubbish ground down to bitter ashes of shame and nothingness.
God is holy, you guys, and His name is above all other names.  He gives His glory to no other; shares none of His weighted magnificence with anyone.  God is God, and only God is God.  So, having scriptures recount His glory in the highlights of His grace and mercy is huge for us.  It's huge!

Nehemiah understands this and that is why he vocalizes it in the community there in Jerusalem.  We all need to hear - repeated and distinctly - who God is, and the very breath by which we live under His Sovereignty.
This should really spark some general questions for us:
Why then do we continue to elevate and worship other "gods?"  The gods of finances, health, comfort, possessions, popularity, strength, religiosity?
I love the Jesus Bible and I quote from it often.  Here's a little snippet of something I read that clears up the mess in my brain over all of this.
"Remembering the past gave them (Israel) a focus for the future.  Having heard their own story, God's people faced a decision.  They could renew their covenant and continue on with God, or choose a different future, dedicated to other 'gods.'
"This covenant was not defined by a code of behavior or a list of intellectual truths.  The covenant was framed by the narrative of God's gracious acts toward a rebellious people."
DON'T MISS THIS.

                     

God brings a mess of people - a ruin of broken hearts - under His care and by HIS GRACE AND MERCY ALONE causes the covenant to exist; again.
GOD is faithful.
GOD is wonderful.
GOD is gracious.
GOD is merciful.
To GOD be the glory for all the great things He has done.

I've been convicted by this book as a whole.  I'm reminded of God's pleasure which is not to destroy me - someone who daily flips with a given emotion or situation - but to renew me, to bring me back, and to restore me to rightful worship of the One True King.  My Daddy.  The God of Grace and Mercy.

May He get all the glory.  May I daily surrender to His lead.  May He remain the all-powerful God and Sovereign of my fickle, feeble heart.  May I ever fall on His grace and mercy in remembrance of what He has done.
Much love,
Deeds

                       

Mutual Encouragement

Hello friends, it's Janelle here! I'm new to the Creative Worship Blog, so I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share with you all how excited I am to be here with you. I am a Michigan native, married to my high school sweetheart, mom of three boys and a furbaby named Waffles (my boys named her, of course 😉). I have been a Christian for many years, but walked away from the Lord through my teens and twenties until He got a hold of my heart and brought me back to Him. Now, my family and I actively serve in our local church, where I play piano and teach a 2nd and 3rd grade girls' Sunday School class (my weekly girl time!). When I'm not Bible Journaling, I'm reading or hanging out with my family. 

I received a Journaling Bible as a Christmas gift over a year ago and have fallen in love with creatively expressing my relationship with Christ through His Word. I've followed Korin and her Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps ministry for quite awhile and am so blessed to be a part of the team. My prayer is that God will use me to encourage others as I have been encouraged by her and her team this past year. ❤

"That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." 

Romans 1:12

The book of Romans is one of the most-studied books of the Bible as it clearly lays out God's plan of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles, but Paul's heartfelt passion for his readers is evident throughout the whole book. Paul opens his letter with salutations and thanksgiving, and in Romans 1:11-12 he articulates how he longs to see his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ so that they "may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." Believers form a special family of brothers and sisters who are provided for by a heavenly Father, and as a family they have the unique ability to encourage and motivate one another to live for Christ. That is something I have experienced first hand in this Bible Journaling Community. We all come from different backgrounds and yet we have been brought together by our love for God and His Word. We are sisters in Christ in God's heavenly family and have a responsibility to God and to each other to uplift and encourage each other in our faith walk.  

My dear sister in Christ, I urge you to take a moment at the start of this busy week to think of one person you could encourage in faith today. Say a prayer, drop a note, send a text, and remind her of God's love and purpose for her in her day today. 

I used the Genuine Love set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps to create this simple page. I drew a box around the passage I wanted to highlight and taped it off with washi tape. I then stamped all around box with the hearts and flowers. I used Distress Oxides for the flowers and Archival Ink for the hearts.

*Fun fact: I dropped my stamp pad and had a big smudge right in the middle of my text. Not the look I was going for. 😔 To "fix" it, I created a watercolor effect with the stamp ink and turned the smudge into a highlight of my key verse. Girls, isn't that just how God works? He takes the big, ugly smudges right in the middle of our life, softens them around the edges, and uses them to bring Him glory. Praise God! 🙌

Hugs and prayers for you this week, 

Janelle @journalingjoy

Jesus Paid it All

Hello lovlies! Is it beautiful sunny and spring like where you are? .... Not here in Iowa in fact just yesterday morning I looked out and saw snow. I am so ready for spring so today I am sharing a very spring like Bible journaling page using our beautiful new March stamp sets. We have so many beautiful sets in the shop this month hop on over and go have a look! I tried something new...I made my first video! I hope you enjoy it...it's a little rough but I promise to get better! If you enjoy seeing videos shoot me a comment and let me know and I will try to keep them coming.

Hugs and Prayers,
Jenn @creativegurl85

Stamp sets used:

All in All

He is Risen

Itty Bitty Blossoms

In The Garden

You may not know it by the condition of my houseplants, but I’m a flower child at heart. I even got my degree in horticulture and worked as a florist for many years.

My love for flowers and nature started when I was young and would spend time with my grandmother. Her house was surrounded by gorgeous flower beds and her front porch was adorned with hanging baskets. That love of flowers and plants rubbed off on me. 

As I grew up, I always helped Daddy in the garden and with the flower beds around the house. He wanted the flowers to be nice, so Momma could look out the front windows and see all the blooms. We had a rose garden and a large gladiolus bed. Because I loved my Mam-ma’s hanging baskets, our front porch was lined with hanging baskets of every sort as well.

Living in the south, it would be too hot to work in the flowers mid day, so I often would get up early and work in the flowers. Something about getting up early and spending time in God’s glorious creation, always made my heart sing His praises.

Looking at the delicate petals of the flowers and seeing all the intricate, colorful parts, and watching the bees buzz from bloom to bloom....ahhh...it was just heavenly. Not to mention, the roses had sweetest of fragrances.

Just as those flower gardens beckoned me each and every morning, the Lord beckons now. Every day, if my heart is listening, I can hear Him say “Gayle, come walk and talk with me. Come and abide with me.”

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:5, 9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

On many occasions in the New Testament, we are told that Jesus went off to pray. (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12) If Jesus needed time to abide with His Father, how much more so for me!

These last few months, as I have shared before with you, I have sensed the Lord drawing me back very close to His side. Calling me to truly abide with Him. He is whispering ever so sweetly to be “in the garden” with Him. To meet Him while the “dew is still on the roses.”

When I choose to meet Him there “the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing.”

Are you listening for His whisper? Are you longing to abide with Him?

If not, you can ask Him to help you hunger for Him. You can call out to Him and He will meet you “in the garden.”

The joy you “share as you tarry there, none other has ever known.”

Art behind the art:

Spring is springing here in Mississippi and the daffodils are popping everywhere.  The page was started with a light watercolor wash.  Using the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps daffodil stamp from Spring Blossoms was perfect on the In the Garden page in my hymnal.  The butterfly from Made New  was stamped on vellum, colored, fussy cut and then adhered on foam tape.  I added the word "abide" with the Typewriter Alpha stamps.  Lastly, I added some visual interest with Texture Tiles 1 and Texture Tiles 2.

I encourage you to take some time and walk in the garden with Him.


Until next time,

Gayle
Patio Ponderings

Editor's Note:

In The Garden Lyrics by Charles Austin Miles (1912)
Source:  HymnLyrics.org

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain


Words: Charles Austin Miles (1912)