My {Tiny} Journal

A couple of months ago, I purchased this cute book for $0.50. It measures 5 1/2" x 3", and I knew I wanted to turn it into a journal. I finally finished it yesterday. Here are a few details about this adorable little book:

• There are four signatures.
• There are 8-10 pages per signature.
• The pages inside include maps, receipts, envelopes, painted papers, book paper, graph paper, etc.
• The edge of the book is finished with inky fabric. I use flour sack towels from Hobby Lobby. Love them!
• The closure is done with an eyelet and sari ribbon.

I can't wait to begin playing in this book. Thanks for dropping by. Have a great week ahead!

{Journaling} Pray. Believe. Repeat.

Merry Christmas! I hope your day was wonderful. On Sunday morning before Christmas, our daughter called us as she always does when she gets home from her shift. This particular call was one that I had to journal. I am so thankful that I have the privilege to pray for her and other officers, and thankful that the Lord kept them safe!

To make the circles, I used some painted circles I found in my scrap book. I put extra paint, stamped off images, etc., in this book. Then I use them later in my work. These circles worked perfect for my journaling pages today. I cut two circles out, added some stamped flowers, painted them, and then doodled over the flowers after I glued them into my journal. I always do the art first and then journal around the art.

If you don't like to journal, you might want to journal just as you feel led. My journal pages always include a question followed by my journaling. I might journal twice a month or maybe not for six months at a time. Journaling this way really relieves the pressure to journal daily, and I don't feel like a journaling failure. The pages that are journaled (no matter when they are done) will hopefully be treasured someday by the generations to come. Have a blessed rest of your week, and thanks for stopping by!

Glory {Art} Rewind 2018, Religion

I wanted us to look at a previous study about religion. I see so much talk on various social media sites about being religious, what denomination you belong to, etc. It's so much more than that, and instead my prayer is that people truly understand that it's about a relationship not religion. I encourage you to read Hebrews 11:4-31 before beginning today's study. These passages don't say "By being a Methodist . . ." or "By following this religious law . . ." Our relationship begins by putting our faith in Christ not a religion. So all of these mentioned in this passage had faith in Christ and a relationship with Christ. Wouldn't you too love to experience a relationship with the living God instead of following a bunch of religious rules? Let's read on.

The Study

God has been putting the word "religion" in front of me for several weeks now. It first started with a quote from Bono that said:

"Religion is what you have left when the Holy Spirit has left the building."

Then a few days later, I was preparing my lesson for church to lead the K-5 service. This stood out to me:

"Religion is about our attempt to reach God. The Gospel is about the truth that God 

reached out to us. God is not about religion, He is about relationship." 

There's that word again—religion. In both of these quotes, we see that religion is about us doing something, following rules, and not relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit that fills each and every believer. The Holy Spirit is how believers experience God. It makes Him known to us, to know scripture is truth, and to be able to apply it. He expects believers to follow the Spirit's leading. That honors God. Here we see how the apostles followed the Holy Spirit's leading when Matthias became an apostle.

Acts 1:24-26 "Then they prayed, 'Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.' Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles."

I hear people say or I see on message boards "Well, I am not religious." I think the word religion can have a lot of negative connotations, and it does not necessarily draw people to Christ. As the quote said above, God is not about religion; He is about relationship. He is not about a list of rules. Yes, He wants us to obediently follow Him as His Word leads us but it's not about following a list of rules. We have a relationship with Him, and we serve Him and obey Him because we love Him not because we are following a list of rules. Our joy is in our relationship with Him not by following a religion. He created each and every person on this earth. The power of God's indwelling Holy Spirit and our relationship with Him completely transform us; religion does not do that.

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

Psalm 139:13 "For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb."

Colossians 1:16 "For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him."

He puts a desire within each person to have a relationship with Him but not all people respond. We respond to Him by accepting Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins and believing that God raised Him from the dead. His blood was poured out so that our sins are forgiven. We cannot experience a relationship with God unless we have received this free gift. Even Paul, who was a Pharisee, learned that it was belief in Jesus instead of obeying a list of rules. Our outward religious acts do not save us. He wants to have that relationship with you. He loves you. To read more about accepting His free gift, please click here. Have you experienced religion or a real and personal relationship with Jesus?  

John 1:18 (NLT) "No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us."

Romans 3:25a "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9 "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

1 Peter 3:18 (NLT) "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit."

"Going through the motions of religion won’t ever satisfy. It’s only when we bend down low, open our hearts in complete surrender, and say, 'Jesus, it’s You. Only You. There is no other. There is no other possession or person or position that can ever fill the deep soul place shaped only for You.'" —Lysa TerKeurst

So, will you be so bold as to begin saying you have a relationship with Christ instead of calling yourself religious or a Methodist, a Baptist, etc.?

Journaling

• Describe your relationship with Christ.
• How might you deepen your relationship with the Lord?
• Do you feel feel you are religious or living for Christ? Explain.

The Art
I have not done a journal page in quite some time, and I really wanted to journal about my relationship with Christ. My dear friend and I were also working together in my studio last week, and she had been using some red paint. Of course, we don't waste paint so I used some of the paint to stencil these flowers onto book paper. I never use red, so she challenges me to use it. :) Red is certainly perfect for His blood shed for me!

Anyway, once the flowers were dry, I was able to cut them out and use one of them on today's page. I only used one of the flowers so I have a second one still to use on another project. I put them on the page with a glue stick and then doodled around them before adding the typed prompt.

Original Study Link
I first shared this study July 2015. Click here to see the original post.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please click here. May you be blessed as you study and deepen your relationship with Him!

A {Journal} Page, Wow!

I created this page but hadn't shared it with you yet so I thought I would do that today. This page was a total mess. So, I pulled out a piece of book paper, put some paints on it, added some white paint to tone it down, and pasted it over the complete mess that was there before. So thankful for book paper and multi matte medium! :)

And as you can see, it was almost a month between entries in my journal. That's what I love about this style of journaling. I don't ever feel like I have failed at journaling because I haven't done something everyday or each week. I journal as I feel led. That's a big win for me! Give it a try. It's truly worth it. Thanks for joining me today! 

Glory {Art} 2017 Scripture Challenge #10, Relationship

The Study

Have you ever wondered why you are here on this earth? Why did God put you here? He has created each of us to be in relationship with Him and to glorify Him. We were created by Him for Him. To see my older study on 'Glory', click here. And to see an even older study on 'purpose', click here. 

Colossians 1:16 "For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him."

Let's look at the definition of relationship—the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

How do we stay connected to the Lord? By reading His Word, being in fellowship with the body of Christ, serving Him, etc. The most important relationship we can have is with Him!

Proverbs 23:26 "My son, give Me your heart and let your eyes delight in My ways."

Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

When we have that relationship with Him and experience His unending love, we can then share that in our relationships with others. We are to touch lives on this earth. Your possessions don't matter. Will people remember what the inside of your house looked like, what you had or didn't have? No. The lives you touch on this earth is what people will remember about you. Are you spending time creating and maintaining relationships? Are you spending meaningful time with your husband, kids, and/or family? Or are you too busy doing 'stuff' that you don't have quality time for relationships? I read the following and really liked it but there wasn't an author attached to it. Here is what I found—

"The quality of your relationship with God will directly affect the quality of all your relationships with people. Although life is short, the rewards of loving God, and of letting His love flow through you to other people has infinite benefits that will keep on blessing you, now and forever."

So, if we are created to be in relationship with Him and glorify Him, how can we share Him with others and give Him the glory if we are not in relationship with other people? Listen to this amazing song by Steven Curtis Chapman while you read the lyrics below.

I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman

Tomorrow morning if you wake up, 
And the sun does not appear 
I, I will be here 
If in the dark we lose sight of love, 
Hold my hand, and have no fear 
Cause I, I will be here 

I will be here when you feel like being quiet 
When you need to speak your mind, 
I will listen and 
I will be here when the laughter turns to cryin' 
Through the winning, losing and tryin' 
We'll be together 'cause I will be here 

Tomorrow morning if you wake up, 
And the future is unclear 
I, I will be here 
As sure as seasons are made for change,
Our lifetime's are made for years 
So, I I will be here 

I will be here and you can cry on my shoulder, 
When the mirror tells us we're older, 
I will hold you and 
I will be here to watch you grow in beauty 
And tell you all the things you are to me 
I will be here 

I will be true to the promise I have made 
To you and to the One who gave you to me 
I, I will be here
And just as sure as seasons are made for change 
Our lifetime's are made for years 
So, I, I will be here we'll be together 
I will be here

To whom can you say "I will be here?" Do you want you and your husband to remember each other when the kids move out? Absolutely! Spend time on that relationship. Do you want your children there for you when you are older? Most certainly. But if we don't pour out into our relationships, will they want to pour out to us later? Did we maintain a relationship with them or did we let it go or get too busy? 

One small example of what we have done is that we have had family time at 7 pm for probably 21 years! Even though our girls are gone for the most part, we still have family prayer time at 7:45 pm every night for those that can attend. Sometimes it's two of us on the phone, and sometimes it's all five of us. We are trying to do what really matters. 

Have I lost relationships with some people? Yes as I am sure you have too. Did I try? Absolutely, but they did not reciprocate. After years of trying to maintain that relationship, I finally stopped. I was reaching out yet they didn't respond. I realized maybe that was not a relationship that should be continued or restored. God has put other relationships in my path that need to be nutured. Relationships are difficult to maintain when there isn't a connection or a nuturing of the relationship by both people. How would my relationship with the Lord look if I only sat down with Him once a year? Definitely not good. He is always waiting but am I doing my part to maintain the relationship? That's the same with people. Stay in contact. Nuture those relationships. Do what's important. Send that card, make that phone call, text a prayer, meet for lunch. It doesn't have to be hours of work each day. The little things count. Share the love of Christ instead of focusing on what's in it for you. Maintain those relationships, and they hopefully will see God in you and be drawn to their own relationship with Him.

Genesis 2:18 "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"

Proverbs 18:24 "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

I love what the Life Application Bible says about John 15:13—

"We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and He loved us enough to give His life for us. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: listening, helping, encouraging, giving. Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. Give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more."

And the Romans verse below is a great formula for successful relationships—

Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Ephesians 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Journaling Prompts

• How has your relationship with the Lord grown during this year?
• Share a relationship that is special to you and how is the relationship nutured?
• What relationship needs to be nutured that may be falling by the wayside? How will you do that?
• How has someone shown you the love of Christ in a relationship, and how did it make you feel?
• Where will you step out of your comfort zone in a relationship and watch God work?

The Art

I created another journaling page for today. I have been called to a new relationship that I was a bit nervous about but now I am excited to see what God will do!

Thanks for joining me today. Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. And may you be blessed as you nuture the relationships in your life. Blessings,

Another {Journal} Page: Overwhelmed

Yesterday in the Glory {Art} Challenge, I shared a journaling page about our study of being overwhelmed. If you missed that post, click here. Well, something happened yesterday morning before I posted the study that had me so overwhelmed that I need to create another page. Here it is:

I used the same products as my page yesterday but chose more muted colors instead of the brighter colors. Also, I completely messed up writing a word so I just used a word sticker to hide the goof. I actually like how the sticker looks in the midst of my journaling. :)

Thanks for stopping by, and I pray that we will all be overwhelmed by Him instead of the daily stresses!

Glory {Art} 2017 Scripture Challenge #9, Overwhelmed

The Study

Are you overwhelmed? That is probably a stupid question, right? I think in some shape or form, most of us are overwhelmed with daily life at times. We are overwhelmed with things to do, overwhelmed with work, overwhelmed with family, overwhelmed with a stressful situation, etc., etc., etc. Yes, I am sure I could go on and on. Maybe you even feel like David as he describes in 2 Samuel:

2 Samuel 22:5 "The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me."

And I love this by Lysa Terkeurst:

But God doesn't want us to be overwhelmed with life. He wants us to be overwhelmed by Him! David then goes on to say this:

2 Samuel 22:7 "In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears."

David knew where to turn. He sings to the Lord when the Lord delivered him from the hand of his enemies. Where do you turn when you are overwhelmed? Other words that mean overwhelmed include defeat, drown, inundate, smother, crush, etc. Those just sound like depressing words. But what about the antonyms of overwhelm like encourage, surrender, yield, etc. When we feel overwhelmed, why not surrender to the Lord? Why not let His word encourage you? Maybe you can encourage someone else that is overwhelmed. 

In a book I am reading for our Sunday School class, the author, Richard J. Foster says this:

"The church Fathers often spoke of Otium Sanctum, 'holy leisure.' It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves. With our tendency to define people in terms of what they produce, we would do well to cultivate 'holy leisure.'"

When we are overwhelmed, we certainly cannot cultivate 'holy leisure.' We need to take the time to pace ourselves and yield to the Lord in study, in prayer, and in all we do. Watch this video, listen to the words, watch the faces of these precious children, and be overwhelmed by Him.

I doubt you could watch that and think of the things that have been overwhelming you. I hope you felt encouraged after watching that. And I love this part of the lyrics:

"I hear the sound of Your Voice 

All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise oh God 

All that You are is so overwhelming 

I delight myself in You 

Captivated by Your beauty 

I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You 

God, I run into Your arms 

Unashamed because of mercy 

I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You"

All that He is IS overwhelming! Delight in Him. Run to Him. Be encouraged by Him, and when you are overwhelmed turn to Him and have complete trust in Him.

Psalm 61:2 "From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

Psalm 91:1-2 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"

Journaling Prompts

• How have you helped someone that was overwhelmed?
• What promise of God do you need today?
• How has God helped you in the past as you have felt overwhelmed?

The Art

For today's art, I chose to journal one of the questions above. The scripture I noted in my journaling was:

Proverbs 3:24 "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."

To create the flowers, I used a stencil and watercolors on old book paper. Super, super fast and easy. I then cut the flowers out, glued them to the page, and doodled around the flowers. This took longer to dry than it took to create. :) If you are looking for something fast and easy, this is it!

Thanks for joining me today. Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. And may you be overwhelmed by Him each and everyday. Blessings,

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A {Journal} Prompt--Prayer

I have not journaled in my book since May 21st. But today after church, I just had to come home and journal what happened today. Yes, I made the journal prompt fit the circumstances. :) So here is the prompt:

"Describe a time of prayer that was meaningful to you."

And here is what I created:

I am in awe of how God works and answers prayers in such unexpected ways. I hope you will be watching for those unexpected answers to prayer because I am sure you too will be truly blessed. Enjoy your week ahead!

Glory {Art} 2017 Scripture Challenge #5, Attributes

The Study

Today's study may be a bit short as I have been away almost the entire month between my daughter's college graduation out of town, our 10-day vacation, and now getting ready to help our daughter move out for her new job. Though this may be short, we are going to focus on scripture and who God is. We all need that encouragement for sure! Let's look at the study.

Do you ever have those moments where you look around the world and you wonder "Where is God?" "How can this be happening in our world?" "How can my children be doing these things?" "Why is this happening in my life?" I could go on and on with these questions. We all have them at different times in our lives. You may have several of these questions right now. But today I want to encourage you. Don't get down thinking of all of these questions. Look up to the One who is always:

• Eternal
• Ever-present
• Faithful
• Good
• Holy
• Just
• Loving
• Never-changing
• Sovereign
• Wise

How can I say that when you are in the midst of tragedy or craziness? Well, I can say it because it comes from God's Word. Let's look at the scriptures.

Eternal

Psalm 45:6 "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of Your kingdom."

Psalm 93:2 "Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity."

Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

1 Timothy 1:17 "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Ever-present

Psalm 46:7 "The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Jeremiah 23:24 "'Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?' declares the Lord. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord."

Matthew 28:20b "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Faithful

Psalm 33:4 "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does."

1 John 1:9 " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Good

Psalm 145:9 "The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made."

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."

Holy

Isaiah 6:3 "And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.'"

1 Peter 1:15-16 "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

Just

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."

Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

2 Thessalonians 1:5-7 "All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels."

Loving

Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Lamentations 3:22 "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail."

Never-changing

Malachi 3:6a "I the Lord do not change."

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Sovereign

Psalm 33:11 "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Wise

Psalm 92:5 "How great are Your works, Lord, how profound Your thoughts!"

Proverbs 2:6 "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Which scripture(s) speak to you today? Write it on a notecard. Keep it with you in your wallet. Memorize it. When you ask those questions of doubt, frustration, or sadness, focus on His word because He is always eternal, ever-present, faithful, good, holy, just, loving, never-changing, sovereign, wise, and so much more!

Journaling Prompt

Here are a few journaling prompts for you to choose from:

• Pick a scripture above and journal what it means to you.
• What attribute of God is your favorite and why?
• What attribute of God do you need to cling to today and why?

The Art

For my art today I needed to do something quick so I chose a verse from above to journal about. The verse I chose was Romans 8:28 because it has always been a verse I love and remember so clearly when I first heard it.

Thanks for joining me today. Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. I hope that you will remember to turn to Him always in good times and bad. He is there waiting and never changes! Blessings,

A {Journal} Prompt Entry

In our March Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge, one of the journaling prompts was:

"What can you praise the Father for today?"

If you missed that post, click here. Anyway, I decided to use that prompt, and here is how it turned out in my journal:

Stencil Girl stencil: Circle 6

I love this particular prompt because you can use it over and over. This would be a fun one to have "sprinkled" through your journal at different times through the year.

I hope you are enjoying your journaling time! Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed week!

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Journal {Giveaway} Entries End Tonight!

Don't forget to leave your comments in the post below by 11:59 p.m. tonight to be entered to win a leather journal. Click here to read the details and enter. And to show you this awesome journal again, I thought I would share another journal entry with you. This one is a bit dark but what I remember about my first Bible was dark so I wanted to share that through the colors on the page.

Okay, so get those entries in by clicking here. Can't wait to see who wins this beautiful journal! Blessings,

It's A Journal {Giveaway}

For those of you taking part in this year's Glory {Art} studies, you know that I have a new option this year. I am sharing journaling prompts so that you can journal and leave your faith legacy. I love the leather journal I have and use. So, today, I thought I would offer one of these journals to one Glory {Art} participant. The journal looks like this and holds wet media pretty well. I also use a Pigma Micron pen for journaling, and there is not any bleed through.

So, what do you have to do to win this journal? Leave a comment and tell me if you are participating in this year's Glory {Art} Challenge, if you are journaling, creating, or just studying along with the challenge, or anything else you want to share about the challenge or how you would use the journal. I will leave this giveaway open until Saturday, Feb. 25th, at 11:59 p.m. Then I will announce the winner on Sunday here on my blog. You must leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

And before I finish this post, I thought you might like to see today's journaling. This was a question from this past week's journaling prompt in our study. Once again, another super simple page as it's about the journaling not the art. I always just need a bit of color on the page. :)

Thanks for joining me, and can't wait to see who will get to enjoy this gorgeous journal! Blessings to each of you,