Selah

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

2 

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 

though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah    (Psalm 46:1-3)

I always wanted to know what this word meant... Selah. 
I've heard it said that it's some type of pause; some form of meditative hesitation.  When someone says the word, I often wonder why they didn't translate this seemingly mystical word into one for our English language as a help for those of us who want to better understand this beautifully-written interjection.

I still have yet to figure that out.  All I know, is that it was placed as another piece of praise/prayer to the Lord which prompted the singers/hearers to take a breather...and just listen.  To what?  Instrumental music, mostly.  They were to take a break and just enjoy the sounds of plunking, clashing, banging, and whatever other interesting musicality they had in their day.  

There are times during a worship service where our music leader will guide the band in playing 3 to 4 wordless measures between verses of a song in order that the congregation can hold still, think on what we just sang, and prepare to pick up the next verse and choruses with stronger engagement.  Songs that have a soul-deafening sadness to them are meant to cause us to lament our sin, repent of unjust deeds, turn to the Lord, and appeal to His mercy.  Other songs are gauged to stir you to dancing, rejoicing, and praising the God above for what He has done and continues to do.  Lyrics are powerful; pauses in the middle of corporate worship are amazing and can have heart-filling effects. 

My goal is not necessarily to talk about music though.  Oh, I love music; one of my favorite things, and part of my God-given ministry at our local church house is singing.  But I'm also curious as to what may happen should we use this term, "Selah," - a pause or a break - in our every day studying. 
What if we took time to read God's Word, pausing to meditate on a particular section of scripture, thinking on His character, thinking on His heart, treasuring those things in our hearts, preparing ourselves to read a bit more, repeating said steps above?
What if, in the middle of our seeking truth and knowledge of the Bible, we intermittently took a step back to listen to the "interlude" of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him space in our time to etch the Word a bit deeper? 
Maybe we read a passage one more time.
Maybe we read a passage many times.
Maybe we slow down; stop rushing; start feasting.

There are many ways to glorify our God, but more than anything He wants us to be completely aware of Him, enjoying Him, and finding our daily satisfaction in Him.  But like anything else, a hurried job is a sloppy job.  By taking, making room for, implementing "Selah" in study, our daily Bible reading could take on a whole new form; it could become more worshipful, more meaningful, more fruitful, more beautiful! Our spiritual eyes may behold something more amazing, breath-taking, awe-inspiring.
It's just a thought.  Whenever I see "Selah" in the Psalms, though it was originally given for pause in prayer and worship, I wonder what it is that I just read that needs to be taken a bit more into consideration. 
In the verses above, for example, reading how God is our refuge, our strength, our help, our present protection is awesome!  Reading about His power, might, sovereignty and kingship is inspiring... Selah. 
Sit still.
Wait.
Think about it.
Lean in to it.
Pause.
Pray.
Praise!

Giving the Holy Spirit a bit of additional time to impress our souls with this description of God, may just make a world of difference as we navigate our day.  It may just bring a closer assurance and a more solidified worship of an Almighty Fortress!  The Rock of all ages, and the King above all kings!
It may.  It's just a thought. 
So, I'm going to try it.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to "Selah" or have "Selah" or practice "Selah" when in my devotions.  During a reading, I've challenged myself to hang out, read again, study deeper, and listen more closely to God's whispers to my heart.  My goal: to be more satisfied in the Lord via the help of a "Selah." 
Let me know if you try it; I'd love to know what your thoughts are, and you're welcome to comment here if you'd like! 
Much love, friends!


Deeds

Perfect Peace

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 26:3

As we prepare to head into another crazy busy holiday season, I wanted to chat for a minute about peace. We all want peace - peace in our heart, peace with our family, peace with our friends and neighbors - but peace can be hard to find during the craziness of the holidays. Isaiah 26 talks about finding peace, and not just any peace, but perfect peace. David Guzik's commentary on Isaiah 26 tells us that the Hebrew term for perfect peace is actually shalom shalom. This shows how in Hebrew, repetition communicates intensity. It isn't just shalom; it is shalom shalom, perfect peace.

Thankfully, the verse doesn't just tell us about perfect peace, it shows us how we can acquire perfect peace - by keeping our mind fixed on the Lord. He is the source of our peace, and when we keep our mind settled and established on the Lord Himself, we can be kept in His perfect peace. 

The Bible talks an awful lot about the importance of our mind. We are to love the Lord our God with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). We can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 3:19), but to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). The Christian life is not an unthinking life of just doing, or experiencing, but it is also about thinking, and where we set our mind is essential in our walk before the Lord. (David Guzik)

To be kept in this perfect peace, our mind must be stayed. The Hebrew word sawmak comes from the rot "to prop," and has the idea "to lean upon or take hold of ... bear up, establish, uphold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay, sustain" (Strong's Dictionary).

So what props you up? What does your mind lean on? What sustains your mind throughout your day? If the answer is anything other than Christ Himself, you'll find yourself lacking the peace you so desire. To have perfect peace, you mind can't just occasionally come to the Lord; it has to be stayed on Him. 

I created this page to illustrate the perfect peace that can be found in Jesus this holiday season. I used acrylic paints, blank ink, clear iridescent embossing powder, and the Chunky Alpha and Cheerful Snowmen stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps to create this page.  

Wishing you a holiday season full of peace in Jesus Christ!

Janelle

@journalingjoy

P.S. Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is turning 12 this month!! 💖 They are celebrating with a sale all month long: 12% off your entire order (no code needed). Click on the stamp sets below to shop. 😍

 

God is my Confidence

"Your promise still stands, great is Your faithfulness...I'm still in Your hands. 
This is my confidence: You've never failed me yet!"  Elevation Worship, "Do it Again"

Heya!
Deeds here :D

Goodness me!  The day before the new month, and we're already on a new release for Sweet n Sassy Stamps!  It's exciting to see what the designers come up with, and if you would just join me in a quick "SHOUT OUT" for all their love and efforts, that would be awesome!
GIRLS, YOU ROCK IT!
I hope you were able to watch the release yesterday - it was pretty exciting!

During this time of transition from October to November, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced a bit of "labor pains" of new routines or revamped schedules.  When Fall falls, we all get the sense that things are gonna change for sure.  We grow fond of our leafy decor, pumpkin patches, PSL's, foliage ventures, and fun sayings hanging above our stoked fireplaces. 
Our hearts tend hopeful as we go from a long and busy summer to a cooler, tempered autumn.  It's not easy to readjust to the new norm of activity, events, rainy days, and sick kids.  But, it's a lot easier with a cup of hot something or other and a fun, full scarf!
What I'm saying is, transition is good, interesting and sometimes difficult.  It can be helpful, awkward, or wonderful, or all three!
We've had a bit of changing around here, recently.  It's been good, bad, ugly and exciting all wrapped up into one hot mess.  Some call it, "life."
Not perfect. 
Not terrible.
Doable.
Life.

I needed ALL the space to place my Charles Spurgeon notes inside this page,
so I made sure to keep the background simple with ink smooshing.

With such transitions,  I exercise my emotional "muscles" in this little world of mine - flexes from  overwhelming joy to overwhelming overwhelmed-ness.  I don't know how else to say it.
But, as one who claims the Lord Jesus as Savior, I'm learning what it means to lean.  I'm understanding a bit more of what the good Lord means by, "trust in the LORD with all of your heart."

God is gracious.  That is certain.
God is faithful.  That is forever!
Keep that in mind, Deeds.

As hindsight took a 20/20 these last couple of weeks, I came to understand - AGAIN - the working of God's character in all situations.  It hasn't been the best of 2 weeks.  In fact, the sinful nature of my heart kicked and screamed against some of the happenings that God allowed, namely, physical injuries, personal insults, sick children, and the like. 
Even still, we have yet to reach the mountain crest again, and when we do, I've elected to look with fondness at the passing of the valley.  
I don't like the valley.
I don't like the shadows in the valley.
I don't like the idea of the valley.
I don't like the possibilities of the valley.
I don't like the presence of the valley.
It's hard in the valley.

What did we say before?
God is gracious.  That is certain.
God is faithful.  That is forever.

I highly recommend reading Charles Spurgeon's notes on Psalm 44!
They are wonderful!!

I read Psalm 44 somewhere in the middle of what I would call "a siege."  Fairly timely, as per usual for God.  What a read!
Here, we have 8 full and worshipful verses speaking to God's care, control, deliverance, power, Kingship and authority.  It's beautiful.  It's what I would say from any peak! 
It's also a surprising lead to verse 9 and following, where we get an immediate turn about - the exact opposite sentiments of the prior 8 verses.  This point of the chapter brings weightiness to my heart.  Most likely because it's this last half or so of the Psalm that I resonate with the most. 
God, where are you?
Have you forgotten me?
Have you forsaken me?
Do you love me anymore?
Is my life hidden from your sight?

Oh, friends, it's hard in the valley.  It's hard to systematically work through the bitter edges of the puzzle, trying to put pieces together that make any sense whatsoever. 
It's hard in the valley. 
As I talked with my insta-bestie, Colleen (@stirthesoul), we shared with one another the expression, "count it all joy," as it pertains to our lives currently.  We encouraged each other with this:
"It's in the valleys we become closest to God."  YES!
It's in the valleys we learn our total and utter dependence on the rightful Keeper of our faith. Amen!

How are we to have joy in the pits?
Why are we to have joy in the deep ravines?

Because, Psalm 44:1-8
Read it...rejoice in it...

O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
² you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
³ for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.

⁴ You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
⁵ Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
⁶ For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
⁷ But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
⁸ In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever.  Selah

Amen!?

 

I went ahead and created an insert for my "loved" Bible, so that someone else may see and read for herself:
God is gracious and faithful!

As life transitions, changes, falls where it may, there can be dark periods wherein we MUST persist!  The way we do this with anticipation, joy and hope, is by praising God through His immutable characteristics!  There are many, but what did we say before?
God is gracious.  That is certain!
God is faithful.  That is forever!

Moving through valleys brings a clearer view of our powerlessness compared to an all-powerful God!
It brings us to a humbled place before our Sovereign Lord.
It moves us to a contriteness before our merciful Savior.

Not convinced?
Re-read verses 1-8 again. 
The psalmist writes of a history.  A history of his people.  His fathers.  His ancestors who knew and saw the glory of God.  It's a record.  A remembering.  A recalling of facts of Almighty God.

We do not need to be on the mountaintop to see that God is gracious.  That is certain!  His present touch and handle on your life and mine is as close in proximity as when we're walking tippy top, sunshine warming our face!
We do not need to fear the valley; God is faithful.  That is forever!  His never-changing person brings a hope in who He has been from the beginning of time. 

I like the precious moments He sends to reassure me: I am His. 
The other night, during youth group worship we sang the song, "Do it again," by Elevation Worship.  I listened to every lyric, attempting to capture each one in my heart and feed it to my soul. 
Good stuff.
Stuff that helps bring a soul up to worship; lift it up to song and praise.

I've seen You move!  You move the mountains! 
And I believe I'll see You do it again!

The refrain, "but you have never failed me yet," holds dear to me, and as I await the next peak of sunshine, I want to remember: "great is Your faithfulness, Your faithfulness!  Your promise still stands, THIS IS MY CONFIDENCE, YOU'VE NEVER FAILED ME YET." 

In this low, I am high with confidence in a God that never fails. 
In this ache, I am healed with confidence in a God that never fails.
In this darkness, I am guided with confidence in a God that never fails.

Never.
Not. Ever.

Much love,
Deeds

IG: @mercies_journaled


Thanks for reading, friends!  I encourage you to dive into Psalm 44 today and read of God's character.

The Lord Alone Exalted

The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased;

 and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:17

Hi Friends!

Today I'm in Isaiah 2. This chapter begins by speaking of the coming restoration of Jerusalem. Then it speaks of a time of judgment. This is when humanity will be judged and found wanting. Only God will be exalted.

Right now, our world is full of pride. Pride has always been one of the roots of sin. When Lucifer rose up against God, it was because of pride. Isaiah 14:12-15, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit."

He was pretty full of himself. And  we can be pretty full of ourselves. But he wasn't successful, of course. God through him and his followers out of heaven. And we- the human race- will be humbled as well. We can't match God. We may think we're "all that," but compared to and without God, we are nothing.

As believers, hopefully, we are exalting God through our words and actions every day. But one day, EVERY knee will bow to Him. I'm looking forward to that day!

Page Details:
I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Succulents, Classy Script Alpha, and Chunky Alpha. I also used a circular gel plate to apply the acrylic paints. I just recently bought gel plates and they are available at SNSS!! They are such a fun way to apply acrylics! The plate is flexible silicone. You just brayer paint onto it and then apply to the page. I'm looking forward to learning more ways to use them too. I outlined the center circle with a Micron pen.

Have a blessed week! May He alone be exalted! Andrea

Complete Love...

Hi friends,

When I read the Bible I am frequently challenged by the connection made between love and obedience, between faith and deeds. Love is not simply a feeling and faith is not simply a decision to believe in something. Love and faith are active words - they require a lived-out response.

1 John 2:3-6 is particularly challenging!

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

When we obey God, we are demonstrating our love for him. That is how love is made complete in us. 

It is easy when we read verses like this to feel guilt and condemnation because we all fall short of complete obedience. But the aim of these verses is not to heap condemnation on us but to encourage us to live out our love for God by following Jesus' example of obedience. That is a decision that we can make in every moment of the day, whether facing big challenges and trials or a million tiny moments where we can choose to obey God's word or do it our own way. Every time we choose obedience, God's love is being made complete in us, which is pretty amazing!

I created the background for this page by applying a few layers of gesso, then when dry I applied Distress Oxide inks using an oval makeup brush then splattered with water. I stamped the verse using a combination of the new set Fall in Love with Jesus as well as two alpha sets: Happy Alpha and Mini Grunge Type Alpha.

I pray that God's love may be completed in each one of us as we read and obey his word, seeking to follow in Jesus' footsteps.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Grateful Heart Journaling Cards

Fall is in full swing here in the middle of the Mitten (aka Michigan 😉). The mornings are crisp and cool, and the leaves are turning all sorts of beautiful colors. Fall is my favorite season - I love the beautiful colors, the pumpkins, the apple cider, and especially the caramel apples. Yum!! 

The changing seasons reminds me of life's ever-changing seasons. Life never stays the same, it's always changing. But you know what never changes? God's love for YOU. He has said He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He is a God who keeps His promises. Fall is the perfect time to reflect on God's love for you with an open and grateful heart. 

If you've spent any amount of time on the Creative Worship blog or Facebook group, you've seen the wonderful journaling cards made by our very own Deirdre (@merciesjournaled). (You should totally check out her YouTube channel!) After returning from our CW Retreat this past week, I decided to make some journaling cards with the new Grateful Heart stamp set. I'm so thankful for all God has done and continues to do in my life, and I'm especially thankful for the new friendships I've gained because of this Bible Journaling Community. ♡

These cards are so fun and easy to make! I started with a blank piece of 9"x12" watercolor paper (simple cardstock works well too). I then splashed a couple different "autumn-ish" colored watercolors all over the page. There is no rhyme or reason to this madness, it really is just dabbing watercolor randomly all over the page. You can let dry, then do another layer of random color. I then splattered the page with some more autumnal colors. Once you have a good base color pattern, it's time to cut your journaling cards. I cut the sheet longways down the middle so I had two 4.5" sides. I then cut them into 3" cards. A 9"x12" sheet will give you eight 4.5"x3" cards. The perfect size!

I then stamped my images with my handy new MISTI Stamping Tool. This tool stamps images so quickly and cleanly, it only took me a couple minutes to stamp my cards. I just LOVE it!! 😍

These little cards are perfect to stick in your kiddo's lunchbox, give to a teacher to brighten her day, stick in an envelope with a card, or tape in your Bible as a little reminder for you. The possibilities are endless! Here is an example of a journaling card in my Bible. I wrote a short prayer on the back of this card, then paperclipped in my Bible. 💕 

I encourage you to take 20 minutes and create your own set of journaling cards, then hand them out to people who cross your path this week. Share a little bit of God's light and be a blessing to someone this week. 😉

Lots of love, 
Janelle
@journalingjoy

I used the Grateful Heart and Fall in Love with Jesus stamp sets in creating my journaling cards. The Grateful Heart stamp set is the Stamp of the Month from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and is FREE with a $75 order. 😍

 

A Love Without End...

Lamentations 3:22-23

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness."

Hey everyone! Stephanie here and today I am sharing with you a page I created and taught at the Fall in Love With Jesus Creative Worship Retreat a few weeks ago! I lead a workshop about how to journal using a hymnal. Hymnals are a fun change up to bible journaling, and for me they can add a very personal and morale touch to your page. In this particular workshop I thought we would do something a little different and we cut out fall leaf shapes from the hymnal pages and used them as a focal piece in our bibles!

The theme behind our retreat this season was "falling in love with Jesus". So I chose to highlight the verse in Lamentations 3:22-23, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." How great is it that we have a father that loves us unconditionally?!? A God that loves us so much that nothing we could possibly do would keep him from loving us? That's a BIG love right there. 

In comparison, think about how much we love our children. Endlessly right? Well God loves us and them EVEN MORE than that! That's almost hard to wrap your mind around. His love has no beginning and no end. No matter how much we mess up; how many times we sin, if we attend church every Sunday or not, if we volunteer all of our free time to feed the less fortunate, or if we're a little more selfish with out time. No matter where you find yourself in those examples, God love us just the same. He does not keep a ledger of all the good deeds we've done, totaling them all up and then giving us a grade before walking up to the gates of heaven. No! He just wants to know that we believe he is our savior that died for our sins. 

So while working on this page and thinking about this verse, the classic George Strait song "A Love Without End, Amen" popped into my head. I have always loved that song as a kid and I still do! This song talks about the various things that happen to a boy growing up and he learns that no matter what, his father always loves him, and in the end he hears those words from God. That exact thing applies to our Heavenly Father and his love for us.....

🎵George Strait 🎵

.

.

.

Last night I dreamed I died and stood outside those pearly dates,

When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake.

If they know half the things I've done, they'll never let me in,

Then somewhere from the other side, I heard those words again...

And they said

Let me tell you a secret about a fathers love, 

A secret that my daddy said was just between us.

He said Daddies don't just love their children every now and then,

It's a love without end, amen.

It's a love without end, amen.

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

@faith.and.creativity

Mini Grunge Type Alpha 

Fall in Love with Jesus 

Teeny Alpha