Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge #21, His Gift and His Love

The Study

Several times this week, God has given me the opportunity to share about Christ's love and His gift to us. And then on Christmas Eve, the service was about His gift and His love. We know there are never any coincidences so it was a confirmation to me that what I had already written and created was exactly what we are to be talking about today. 

First, let me start by saying it has been a very rough 2015 for our family. But each day has still been a gift and a time of thanking Him and knowing that His love for us is immeasurable. Just this week, we found out my daughter now needs open heart surgery. As we were driving home from Duke on Tuesday, we heard this song (click here to listen to it)—"Beautiful Life" by 7eventh Time Down. Here are part of the lyrics:

"It's a beautiful life

Gotta open my eyes
Take it day at a time
Don't let a moment pass by
It goes so fast I'm realizing
Each day is a gift that's given
Slow it all down
So I don't miss a thing
God's got something for me
In this beautiful life

I know we all have days
When heaven feels so far away
Right now would You help me see
One glimpse of what You’re doing?
In the middle of the chaos I take a breath
Thank God For all He's done for me"

Our lives, no matter how difficult, are a precious gift from God. Each day we have here on this earth is a gift. He has a purpose for every life He creates and everything He does.

Lamentations 3:22-23 "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

God loves us when things are going great, and He loves us when things are difficult. God created the world. He created everything in and around this world. And He loves us so much that His biggest gift to us was His Son. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to earth to live and suffer just as we do. But the difference is that Jesus went to the cross to die for you and for me so that we might live eternally with Him. He loves us that much that He wants us to be with Him forever!

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

His gift to us shows us that His love:

His love for us is priceless!

Psalm 36:7 "How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

His love endures forever!

Psalm 136:2 "Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever."

His love never falls short. He is completely dependable!

Psalm 115:1 (NLT) "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name goes all the glory for Your unfailing love and faithfulness."

He doesn't love us because we are loveable or deserve His love!

1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

He Loves Us Through Any Situation!

Psalm 138:8 (NLT) "The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me."

Nothing Can Separate Us From His Love!

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." —C.S. Lewis

The Art

I chose to do a Journaling Bible page using Psalm 36:7. I just love, love, love this verse. It tells me that not only is His love for me priceless but it is unfailing. It also tells me that during these storms in our family, I can take refuge in the shadow of His wings. He will take care of my family through eternity. What a gift that I need to thank Him for and remember and lean on daily!

The little butterflies on this page are from the 7Gypsies stamp called "Bird Watching." There are lots of great images on this stamp that can be cut out so it makes the stamp very versatile.

The paints are Tattered Angels High Impact paints. I used hot pink, aqua, and lime green. It is an opaque paint; however, with a bit of water, I was able to use them as a translucent paint. You can see where I painted over the Canvas Corp Black and White Live, Love, Laugh cardstock (the word 'love' above). Also you can see where I painted the tissue paper below but you can still see the original writing on the tissue paper. I used this painted tissue paper to stamp the butterflies, flowers, and words 'priceless' and 'unfailing'. Note that the photo below is not true to the original colors. We had many storms when I took this photo, and I could not get a decent photo. The true colors are, however, on the above Journaling Bible page. 

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. Also continue to watch my blog for the 2016 study. Invite your friends and family to join along!

So, I pray you will start each day with a grateful heart knowing that He loves you immensely. Will you thank Him today for His gift of love to you?

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Glory {Art} Challenge Update & New for 2016

Hello faithful blog followers. I pray you are well and enjoying this busy season. Unfortunately, I will not be able to post today's Glory {Art} Challenge due to more health issues with my daughter and my precious parents arriving from TX yesterday. I will be posting our next study on 12/27/15. I hope you will use this time to reflect on other studies you have completed this year or even catch up on those you have not completed.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I will be continuing our study for 2016. There will be a few differences, and I will post about that shortly. I hope you will join in and encourage your family and friends to join us too. Watch for the details coming soon! Have a blessed Sunday!

Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge #20, Truth for Living

The Study

Today's study is a continuation of our truth study we did back on February 8th. To see that study, click here. I came across some other things that I felt God wanted me to share so we will discuss this topic a bit further.

Two of my daughters began studying a book called "Truth. Seeing black and white in a gray world" by Matthew P. Kinne and Patrician R. Mitchell. I began reading the introduction which says:

Truth is true--even if no one knows it.

Truth is true--even if no one admits it.

Truth is true--even if no one agrees with it.

Truth is true--even if no one follows it.

Truth is true--even if no one but God grasps it fully.

I just loved that, and this is what caused me to think we needed to continue this study. The statements above are so powerful and true! Do you agree with the statements above? Let's break it down.

Truth is true--even if no one knows it or admits it.

Do you believe everything you read, hear, or see on TV? I hope not. Do you believe what people say? Sometimes it is definitely easier to believe what the world says and go along with the world than it is to follow what God says. The world will let you down. The One truth we can always trust and believe in is God's truth. He is not like us. He does not lie or change His mind. People may not know that or admit that but it is truth!

Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"

Truth is true--even if no one follows it.

His Word and His truth tell us how we are to live. His truth gives us instructions for everything in our lives. It is not just a story. Will you follow Him? Will you allow Him to guide you and teach you daily instead of the world?

Psalm 25:5 "Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."

Proverbs 4:5 "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget My words or turn away from them."

His Word is truth and changes lives. We need to study His word so we know the truth, we believe the truth, we live by the truth, and are changed by the truth. But each person alone must start by first accepting that truth.

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.'"

What we or others think about Jesus doesn't change the truth of who He is or what He accomplished.

Truth is true--even if no one but God grasps it fully.

How do you handle the truth of Jesus even the parts you don't understand? What difference does His truth make in your life?

Isaiah 40:28 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom."

Isaiah 55:8-9 "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

Is His truth your plumb line for your behavior and daily living?

The Art

This week, I have created a Journaling Bible page. Some art notes about this page are:

• The butterflies are stamped onto coffee filter sheets that I first painted and then cut out after stamping.
• The background was done using the same technique I used in this post.
• The black splatters are done with watered down Golden black gesso. I keep it in a Mini mister, shake, and then unscrew the lid. I splatter whatever is on the tube. Makes it easier to splatter than actually misting.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. I pray you will go out each day being molded by His truth.

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Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge #19, Disputable Matters

The Study

As I was going back through some of my old Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) notes, I came across the words "disputable matters." It then reminded me of a discussion our pastor had with our new members class several years ago on this same issue. I thought it would be something good for us to look at today.

Do you ever look at someone and think "Are they really a Christian? If she does that or believes in that, how can she be a Christian?" Or maybe you give another Christian a hard time because they do or do not celebrate Halloween. Or maybe you think all Christians should homeschool. I could share lots of examples, and I am sure you have thought of some of your own. Here is an example that Paul gives in Romans.

Romans 14:2-4a "One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?"

We live in a real world and sometimes people that profess to be a Christian irritate us. Shouldn't they be exactly like us if they are a Christian? We need to handle our differences with acceptance and love. We are accepted by God by belief in Jesus Christ. We are not to tell other believers how to behave on disputable matters.

Romans 14:1 "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters."

We are to love each other and work together for God's glory. So what are the disputable matters? Our pastor shared an illustration that had four circles like a bullseye. Here you can see my very rough drawing of the circles.

I will try to describe each circle from the center out. First, we have the indisputable matters which are the core of our faith. These are not open to dispute. These are essential to the Christian faith.

Essentials/Indisputable Matters (protect the core of the faith; essentials of the faith)

• innermost circle (teal): Jesus. He is the core!
• second circle (green): Confession and everything in the Apostle's Creed.

Next we have the disputable matters which are debatable. In disputable matters, we are to disagree agreeably. They are not a test of a person's saving faith.

Non-Essentials/Disputable Matters (not a test of a person's saving faith)

• convictions (pink): things that Christians argue about and sometimes divide the church—Sabbath, gays, war, how you are baptized, etc.
• conscience (peach): things the Bible isn't clear about we will disagree and that's okay.

So, where are you passing judgment on other Christians? Are you judging them on the disputable matters? Only God will be the judge. That's His job! I urge you to love them instead of possibly being a stumbling block that may stop another believer from growing in Christ. The obstacles we put up can cause another believer to feel trapped. If in doubt, don't do it.

Romans 14:13 "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister."

1 Corinthians 8:9 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak."

The NIV Life Application Bible says this about Romans 14:13, "Paul wants his readers to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others needs." So remember, don't destroy other believers or God's church. Lift them up. Encourage them instead of focusing on the disputable matters.

The Art

Today I have created Scripture Art Cards using the same background technique I used on Friday's art journaling page. If you missed that post, click here. I chose to use bright colors since it makes me think of being positive and happy not confrontational. I also chose to use butterflies as I think of being a new creation in Christ. I do not want to be a stumbling block to any other new creation in Christ.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. Have a blessed week!

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Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge #18, Thankful

The Study

Have you ever heard the phrase "30 days of Thankful"? It's something paper crafters, Christians, and others participate in each year around Thanksgiving. But my question is what about "365 days of Thankful"? Do you tend to complain more than being thankful? I began thinking about being thankful earlier this week when I posted on Facebook about an incident that happened at our house when the waste management people pulled into our cul-de-sac to collect the trash. While pulling around, they ran over one of the buckets blocking our newly painted and stained concrete.

My sweet friend and blog reader Jennifer posted "Not pleasant for sure. Thankful it wasn't a hospital stay, though." Her comment was spot on and really hit me. I should have been thankful and looked at the blessings in this incident. God really put it on my heart about being thankful. I told Jennifer she was right and listed the things I was thankful for in this mess—"The guys working on my house were available to help at 7:45 a.m., the city offices were open early and had management here immediately, AND they got it all up (no stain on the concrete). God is good, and thanks for pointing me to the One that gets the glory in all things!" Jennifer made me think that God wants us to look for the things we are thankful for in even a bad or literally a messy situation.

We are a nation and gender of complaining. The Israelites also grumbled and complained. They were complaining to each other instead of going to the Lord. Sounds a bit like us too, doesn't it? The Israelites did everything but pray and offer thanksgiving to Him. And as much as we try to hide our complaining, God sees and hears it. 

Numbers 11:1 "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard them His anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp."

Numbers 14:27 "How long will this wicked community grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites."

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous."

I remember acting just like the Israelites at one point in my life too. I can look back now and say "Wow, I was an Israelite in the desert. All I did was complain." Am I proud of that time in my life? No. Do I still complain? Yes, at times. We need to look at everything everyday—even the hard and difficult times—and pray and be thankful. God provided for the Israelites every single day but they rejected Him. He provides for us every single day, and I know I personally want to thank Him for His blessings and provisions. How about you?

Psalm 138:1 "I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the 'gods' I will sing Your praise."

Colossians 2:6-7 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."

As Christians, we should be thankful not just on one holiday or during a season but everyday. I am challenging myself to use my 2016 planner to write out a weekly scripture to remind me to be thankful. The scriptures in today's lesson are a start. I need 52, and I don't think they will be too hard to find in His Word. And finally, I leave you with Biblegateway's verse of the day today (a confirmation to me that this is what we were to study today):

Ephesians 5:19-20 ". . . speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Art

Today I chose to do a Journaling Bible page using Colossians 2:6-7 because I absolutely love the phrase "overflowing with thankfulness." I want to remember to overflow daily with thankfulness to Him!

I used a piece of tissue paper that was in a box of shoes to add all of the flowers and words (except the stickers). I love doing that because there isn't any bleed through, and if you make a mistake, it's on the tissue paper not your Bible page.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. Blessings and may your week ahead overflow with thankfulness!

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Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge #17, Discouraged?

The Study

If you remember, I was unable to post the last Glory {Art} Challenge due to one of my daughter's taking her fourth ambulance ride this year to the ER. She ended up being in the hospital for 10 days this time. At one point they thought she needed heart surgery. Yes, this is the daughter that just had her 4th back surgery earlier this year. During this hospital stay, she was on complete bedrest, she was in tears, and she was discouraged. She wanted to go home, and so did I. She also wanted to go back to school. She is tired of hospitals and problems. Have you ever felt that way? Are you discouraged? Maybe you too have health problems or a family member does. Maybe you are having trouble paying the bills or you are discouraged in your job or lack of finding one. Maybe you are discouraged because you have tried to get the weight off over and over again, and it just doesn't happen. There are so many reasons we become discouraged.

If we focus on the problem, we will be discouraged. But God doesn't want us to be discouraged. He wants us to focus on Him and encourage us! In Exodus 5:22, we see that Moses took his doubt and discouragement to the Lord. 

Exodus 5:22 "Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Why, Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.'"

Moses did the right thing. He turned to God, and God responded with encouragement and tells Moses how He will rescue His people.

Exodus 6:1 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.'"

God sees past our troubles. He has a bigger picture for us. God gave Moses encouragement and hope, and He gives us encouragement and hope also. He is the God of comfort in our troubles. Even when we are discouraged, we need to praise Him. He is faithful. His grace and love are abounding.

Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."

Psalm 86:15 "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."

So what do you do for someone that is discouraged? Or what do you do for yourself? I will tell you what I did for my daughter. First, she denied everything I suggested to distract her. So I quietly sat next to her bedside, and I turned to His Word by reading scriptures aloud to her. She said nothing and had her back turned to me as she lay in the bed. Then I started playing her new favorite album by 7eventh Time Down. After listening to scriptures and this song, she began to weep which made me weep along with her. The scriptures and the music did us both good and brought us encouragement. One of the songs we listened to was "Unbelievable." You can listen to it by clicking here. Some of the words in the song are:

"Lord You could've given up 

And walked away 

From someone so unworthy 

But You stayed 

Your faithfulness surrounds me 

Your grace is all abounding 

Your mercy overwhelms me 

You call me Your own 

I know You'll never let go 

Your love’s unbelievable 

On and on it goes 

Your love’s unbelievable 

On and on it goes 

Your love’s unbelievable"

So when we are discouraged, read His word. There is a living, eternal, super-natural power in God's Word. God speaks encouragement and hope to His children through His word. Do you take your focus off of God when you are discouraged? I pray instead that in faith you would turn to Him in your discouragement and troubles. Let Him encourage you!

Romans 1:17 "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"

"Fight back! Discouragement is a choice. If you feel discouraged, it's because you've chosen to feel that way. No one is forcing you to feel bad. Hang on! Do what's right in spite of your feelings. No feeling lasts forever."—Rick Warren

The Art
For today's Scripture Art Cards, I used Strathmore Artist Trading Cards. I use the Canvas Paper in the ATC size. No need to cut, gesso, or prepare these in any way; just start painting. They are even white on one side and off-white on the back so you can choose which side to use. I should have started using these from the beginning of the year but I guess now is better than later. The canvas texture is also nice. To purchase, see the supply list below.

For my cards today, I needed something quick as we have only been home from the hospital a week today. She didn't need heart surgery yet, praise God, but she was diagnosed with a new health condition unfortunately. Anyway, because I needed something quick, I used this video by Marta Lapkowska for inspiration. I like how these turned out but may do another full-sized art journal page using this same technique. It was fun.

Because the ATCs were so much smaller and moved around, I used adhesive to stick all four cards onto a sheet of newsprint paper. That way I could paint all four at once, and they did not move around. Sorry for the bad lighting. It was rainy and dark when I started these.

And here is how they turned out with scriptures and the quote from the study:

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. And today instead of being discouraged, I pray you will be encouraged by this beautiful prayer.

Ephesians 3:14-21 "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

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No Glory {Art} Challenge Tomorrow 9/27/15

I really hate to have to post this. But I am out-of-state and at a hospital with my daughter. She was taken via ambulance from the University on Thursday to the hospital. The earliest we will be out of here is Wednesday. She may need heart surgery. And yes this is the daughter you prayed for earlier this year when she had spinal surgery. Prayers for wisdom for the doctors would be much appreciated! I pray you use this time to complete some of the studies you have not been able to do yet. May God bless each of you, and thank you for interceding for us!

{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #16, Humility

The Study

This week we are looking at humility. Have you ever known someone that is truly humble? What did you see in them that was different? What drew you to them? And what is humility exactly?

Humility (dictionary.com): not being proud or arrogant. 

Basically, it's the opposite of pride which means:

Pride (dictionary.com): pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging 

to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself; something that causes 

a person or persons to be proud.

Pride comes out when we want someone else's job, when we always want to be the leader, or when we criticize everyone else. Nancy Leigh DeMoss has a wonderful pdf file called "Proud Spirits and Humble Hearts." I highly recommend you print this file and do the suggested exercise. Click here to see and print the pdf file.

The world tells us to be self-confident, believe in yourself, be proud of what you have done. But Biblical humility is being Christ-like. It is exalting and praising others especially Jesus. The most important thing we think is what we think about God. We must see God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. Jesus is our example of greatness. He is humble, provider, creator, healer, eternal, omnipresent, gentle, patient, teacher, long-suffering, perfect, all-knowing, etc. We can develop some of these through sanctification. The second most important thing is what we think about ourselves according to God. We must see ourselves as God sees us (depraved sinners redeemed by the blood of Christ). It requires us to believe in His sacrifice so that we can go from depraved sinner to redeemed.

Humility is not being childlike or childish. Humility is not self-loathing or self-degradation. We are not to focus on ourselves or our inabilities but we are to focus on God. We are to accept our limitations and completely trust God to enable us. True humility is all about God and not about us. Think less of self and more of God. Let go of selfish desires to be better than others. Be great for God!

Accurate self-evaluation is a sign of true humility and increasing maturity. Believers are to use faith as their measure of evaluation.

"I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments 

in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences 

that He is indeed our Master." — John Newton

Will you ask God to convict you immediately when you become prideful? Lay down your pride and ask Him to help you humble yourself before Him. Now I leave you with a song by Jeremy Camp called "Lay Down My Pride." Click here to read the lyrics and listen to this song.

Chorus:
I lay down my pride
My desires my demise
I'm ready now to see it Your way
Cause I'm done, I'm thorough ignoring You now it's true
I'm kneeling at the cross of Your grace
Lay down my pride

Psalm 25:9 "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

Psalm 149:4 "For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory."

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Isaiah 29:19 "Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

Matthew 23:12 "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

The Art

Today I decided to create another Journaling Bible page. I used another scrap piece of paper on my desk and used that to create the flowers. That was my inspiration for this page. I highlighted Matthew 23:12 but really could have gone with so many of the verses listed above. It was truly hard to choose!

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. I pray you will go out this week and be great for God!

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{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #15, Christ-Esteem

Note: Please click here to see today's Glory Art {Tip}. 

The Study
How many times have you heard someone say to you or about someone else "You have low self-esteem." "Oh, they have low self-esteem." What is self-esteem? Well, wikipedia says:

"Self-esteem reflects a person's overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self."

That definition surely is self-focused. As Christians, we are to be Christ-focused. So how does that effect us? Let me give you an example. My daughter that attended Army Cadet Initial Entry Training this summer had the opportunity to speak to a pastor while at her training. She told him that she was scared, that she wasn't good enough for training, and that she was not physically fit compared to others. The pastor told her that her problem was that she was looking to herself for each training event instead of God. Obviously her self-esteem wasn't working; she needed Christ-esteem because He has already done everything already and He could carry her through. If Jesus suffered as He did, then He could certainly carry her. He mentioned to her that she didn't need self-esteem but Christ-esteem. I loved that.

Psalm 54:4 "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."

Isaiah 46:4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

Romans 8:31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

As we experience Christ-esteem, it builds our faith. Faith should be the governing factor in how we live our lives daily. Don't be self-focused but experience the joys of being Christ-focused.

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

It's not about me; it's all about God! It's not about you; it's all about God! We are to become the person that God called us to be. He has a purpose for each and every one of us. So how do your emotions and attitudes reflect Christ? Are you focusing on self- or Christ-esteem?

"God often reminds us that all our concerns and complaints are centered on one person: ourselves." —Margaret Feinberg

The following image was on flickr by Lisa Bevere. I hope you enjoy it also.

So, what part of "self" do you need to lay down and trust Christ?

The Art
I created another art journaling page for today. And for our Glory Art {Tips} today, I have listed the step-by-step instructions so that you can see how I created this page. Click here to see that post. I hope you find it helpful.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. Have a blessed week!

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Glory {Art} RAK Time!

Today we are celebrating 500+ members on the Glory{Art} Facebook page and 2,100+ members here on my blog. I am excited to have so many of you creating with me for God's glory! Today I am sharing: 

• Heidi Swapp date stamp 
• Bird stamp 
• Blue Fern Studios chipboard crosses 
• Bag for your Bible journaling 

To win, leave a message here on how you are enjoying the Glory {ARt} studies. Which has been your favorite? Are you behind, caught up? Share something about the Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge. Leave a comment here for one entry. Leave another comment on the Facebook page for a second entry. Comments must be posted by Friday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. I will then draw a random winner and announce here and on the Facebook page Saturday, August 15th. Blessings to each of you!

{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #14, Maturity

Note: Please click here to see today's Glory Art {Tip}.

The Study

Last study, we talked about religion versus a relationship with Christ. If you missed that study, please click here. For today's study, we will now look at moving forward in our relationship with Christ and becoming a mature Christian. 

Once we are saved, we now begin our journey to becoming more like Jesus. Think of your salvation as the bottom rung of a ladder. That is where we start, and we want to move up the ladder not just hang out on the bottom rung. If we camp out on the basics (or that bottom rung), we are malnourished Christians. I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want to be a malnourished Christian. We need to be growing in our faith.

Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 4:14-15 "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ."

We need to move from being self-focused to Christ-focused. As we mature and love Him more, we want to do things that please Him. It's not out of obligation, it's out of a deep love for Him. We must grow in our faith; it's not optional. We either move forward in our relationship with Christ (sanctification) or we fall backward in our relationship with Him. Our choices determine whether we move forward or back. It is a life-long process. Are you making better choices today than when you first came to Christ? Can you say that you experience more fruits of the Spirit now than you did when you first came to Christ?

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

2 Peter 1:5-8 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Thessalonians 1:3 "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing."

We are to always do more—love, hope, encourage, etc. It can only be done through Christ as we grow in Him.

So, how do we grow in Christ? First, we have to have the desire to grow. If we don't have the desire, then you may become lax and think that you don't need to do anything else. God has more for you; He wants you to move from the bottom rung of that ladder. Don't you want to experience what He has waiting?

1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."

1 Peter 2:21 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."

Second, we must read His Word, study, pray, and fellowship with other believers.

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

And lastly, we need to apply God's truths to our daily life.

James 1:4 "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Hebrews 5:14 "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

1 Timothy 4:7 "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly."

Doing all of these things takes our daily diligence. Remember, it is a life-long process. It takes constant use as we see in Hebrews 5:14. Think of where you were in your walk with Christ last year. If you have been doing the things listed above, I am sure you are more mature in Christ than you were last year. And if you continue, think of how He might grow you over this next year. And if you have not been doing these things, will you pray for that desire to grow and mature in Him? Are you willing to discover the areas of your life that have not been perfected yet and where He wants you to grow? Are you ready to continue your journey to becoming more like Jesus? I know I am! He is our example. Will you follow Him?

The Art

Last study, I created four Scripture Art Cards. I had so much fun with them and the colors I used that I wanted to recreate it on a larger art journaling page. So, that is what I have done for my creation today. And for our Glory Art {Tips} today, I have listed the step-by-step instructions so that you can see how I created this page. Click here to see that post. I hope you find it helpful.

The scriptures I chose are Ephesians 4:14-15 and 1 Peter 2:21. It really was hard choosing two scriptures. There were so many good ones for "maturity."

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here.

Product List (click product tags for more information)

View blog post for supplies