Remember What the Lord has Done!

I was reading in Deuteronmy this morning when I came across chapter 4 verse 9. 

“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

This jumped out at me!!! Last year, and he excepted a new position as the dean of students at a school and hour north of us. We decided to stay where we were, and not move until we knew he really loved the job. After a year of him traveling two hours a day, we realized that that was no longer the best thing for a family. Truth be told, I think I knew we were supposed to move A year ago, however I did not want to leave our amazing church family, the kids school, and are fantastic neighborhood with many conveniences! As the year progressed, I felt more and more the consequences of not stepping out in faith and following the Lord.

Once we decided to move closer to his job, the Lord opened many doors for us. He sold our house in one day, and provided a new home for us in the exact time.! It has land, and is allowing many new adventures for us as a family! I have felt at peace with this entire move knowing that this is where the Lord has planted us. As times of doubt found opportunities to slip in, I continued to remind ANDY of the Lord's faithfulness and provision for us.

I used the new Documented Faith "Teach" kit as I journaled because I want to always be reminded of God's faithfulness in our lives! I want the kids to know that we are where we are because The Lord chose to put us here!

You can order your own kit here!

Www.spreezy.com/documentedfaith/35

Makers Gotta Make!

Happy Hump Day! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of all of my Documented Faith products, so in the mean time, I ordered a roll of washi from Amazon! I dove into another page of the Created to Create devo from Illustrated Faith this week, and got my washi just in time!!! 

This page talked about not waiting for products, classes, your talents to improve...any excuse you have to keep from documenting what the Lord is doing in your life...and diving right in!  Ha! How perfect is that?!?! So, I squirted, painted and rubbed my paint all over this page, used the new product that I DID have, and had a great time! 

The new swirl and dashed washi added just the pop of contrast that my page needed. Even though it's black and white, I like how you can still see color through it. It's about 50/50 transparency!

So, what's holding you back?! Push it aside, spend time with the Lord, and start documenting what He's telling you!

Documented Faith!!!

Hi friend! It's been a while since I've posted on the blog, but I've got some big news to share with all of you!

A few weeks ago, I came across this little post from Stephanie Ackerman! I have always loved sharing my faith and sharing my art with others, so after some prayer I decided to apply for the documented faith design team. Their products are awesome, and they are creating such an amazing community with those who are also documenting their faith!

I just found out that I am on their Ambassador Design Team! I am so absolutely excited! I have already gotten to know a few of the other creative ladies on this team, and I can't wait to see how God works in all of us and uses our artwork and these products to bring him glory!

So, what are these products I keep talking about?! Well, I will be doing a review once I receive all of my new swag, but here are a few of my favorites!

 Washi! I am a sucker for some amazing tape to use on, well, pretty much anything! I love these black and white graphic patterns!

Stephanie's hand lettering and doodles are adorable! I cannot wait to get my hands on these and start playing!

Here are a few links for documented faith if you would like to follow along and join the fun!

Website: http://www.documentedfaith.com

Facebook Group- Documented Faith

Instagram- 

http://instagram.com/stephanieackerman1

http://instagram.com/documentedfaith

Take Heart!!! John 16:33

I was riding along in the car yesterday while the kids were at school, and thankfully remembered that I was a grown up and did not have to be listening to Strawberry Shoetcake!  I switched over to KLove and heard Building 429's I'm Not Home Yet. I was singing along, rock'n to my jam when the line "When the earth shakes I want to be found in you" 

This phrase jumped out at me! I've heard this song before, but the Lord used it this time to remind me of his power!!! I was recently reading in John 16 where Jesus was telling his disciples that he was about to leave them. The disciples were confused and a little scared at what Jesus had said was going to happen, so at the end, he wrapped it up with

 ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””

John 16:33 NIV

Take Heart!!! HE has overcome the world!!! If there was ever someone to cling to in times of upheaval, despair, or everyday "earth shaking," it would be the ONE who has overcome the world!!! ***insert war cries, cheers of jubilation and high fiving!!!***

Now, to OWN IT!!! What an amazing truth!!! Those trials, uphill battles and daily struggles? Hand. Them. Over!!! Jesus knows they're hard! He went through worse! But he OVERCAME them so he could carry your stuff too!!! 

Wow. Right?!  Let that sink in! So, when your world shakes, run to Jesus. Hand him your stuff. Heck, throw it at Him and cling to him!!! Trust me, he's big enough to carry everything AND wrap you up in his arms!

Happiness- Gratitude Journal Page

I have always known happiness to be a human emotion that is usually temporary and based on life's circumstances, where as joy is eternal and comes from the Lord. So, as I began this page, I felt that I needed to "know" the actual definition of happiness!

1. Good fortune. 2. A state of well-being and contentment. 

Contentment! Now there's a word I recognize!!! My good friend, Paul, talks about this in his letter to the Phillipians, and boy does he have some stories to tell!!!

Paul is able to offer a surprisingly optimistic perspective on life, especially after the types of persecution he had endured. In his letter he wrote,

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

Paul tells us that it's not what we have, who we're with, or how much money we make, but rather letting Christ's love being us happiness!!!

This truth is one that I need tattooed on my forehead!!! My happiness is often times tied to the moods of my kids, the circumstances of the day or how I feel when I'm hungry (can I get an Amen?!). I really struggle with removing myself from all of that and finding contentment in Him!!!!

Look to the Lord for your strength, joy and happiness and keep your eyes on things above!!!

Beauty- Gratitude Journal Page

Our small group has been studying 1 Peter together for the last month or so, and man, is that book crammed full of goodies!!! Seriously! So many wonderful topics to dive into!!! So, when I hit the Beauty page of my Gratitude Journal from Illustrated Faith (yes, that was a November project!!!...lets just say that I'm really taking my time with being thankful 😂) chapter 3 vs. 3-4 spoke to my heart. 

"It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry or find clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from inside to you – the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear, and it is worth very much to God." 

As we talked in small group, we discussed extensively what these things look like when we live them out. What does it mean to have a gentle and quiet spirit with our husbands? Should we not be wearing make up and pretty clothes? (Woot woot!!! Yoga pants and tshirts Capsul Wardrobe?! -just kidding!) How does our beauty come from within?

My Illustrated Faith Whatever is Lovely collection helped me answer that last question beautifully!!! Philippians 4:8 says, 

"Whatever is true, Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy of the – think about such things."

You see, God is far less interested in if our outfit looks OK, or if our hair isn't doing just the right thing today, then he is about how her attitude is about those things! All he wants is us. All of us. And when we began to dwell on that fact, our beauty is going to shine from the inside out!

Our inner beauty will never disappear, and it is worth very much to God!

Donatello and the Jaguar

I just spent the better half of my morning trying to calm a 5 year old who is clearly struggling with the most basic component of our human souls...and I'm pretty positive this won't be our last discussion of the subject ;)

I sat and listened to my exhausted son sob over the fact that he would no longer be allowed to get a Lunchable because of the choices he had made earlier in the day. I watched as he admitted repeatedly that although the rules had been clearly set before him, he had chosen to ignore them, and the consequences, because "I just wanted that toy!!!"

No matter how I spun the conversation, he kept returning to the fact that he just "wanted it!!!!"  After reminding him that he had just received MANY toys a mere 3 days ago at his birthday party, he sobbed, "but I just want to have ALL the toys so I can have more toys than anyone in the galaxy!" I have no idea where he gets his dramatics from. I blame Big A. ;)

Clearly I wasn't getting anywhere with my lengthy convo, so I resorted to visual aids. I must admit that I was pretty proud of my resourcefulness in choosing my characters, and feel that I truely captured my audience. Giant Donatello playing the part of our Heavenly Father?! Um, yeah, I nailed it.

T-man was played by a tiny jaguar. A very respectable animal, but significantly smaller than Donny.   I showed him where God wanted us by having Donny hold the jag. Then I showed him how each complaint that he had thrown at me all morning moved him further away from the Lord, BUT God never changed. He just stayed the same. Never moved, never turned away. Just waited for he jaguar's return.

The jag, however looked like he was getting attacked by a bee- running back and forth, to and fro, trying to make the "right" choice. Thankfully, at this point, T-man new exactly what the jaguar needed to do to return to a close hug with Donny. He told me the good choices that he COULD HAVE Made that would have allowed him to be closer to God, which he admitted was where he wanted to be.

The knowledge was there, but let's face it. His little heart was struggling something fierce!!! As I summed up what I thought to be a home run in the "life lesson" department, I showed him Romans 7:15-25.  Don't worry, I totally summed it up In kid version because SERIOUSLY, I have to read those verses about 20 times to get everything straight. Sometimes graphs are involved just to keep my thoughts straight!

Bottom line: I make bad choices. It's my sinful nature. I don't always want to make bad choices, but I usually do. I try hard to be "good," but it's hard and I can't do it on my own. So, PRAISE JESUS that he fights that battle for me!!!

Good stuff, huh?! I finished my epic presentation with a summery, at which point my son hit the harsh reality that he was REALLY NOT going to get a Lunchable...and began the fit again. :/

...this must be how God feels with us.

*****

I also used this book as a great learning tool, which is where the quote on my bible page came from!