Category: Bible verse
Harsh words don’t ever help us feel better…ever!
This is so true in all relationships and sometimes the hardest for me. I’m learning to love myself (& all of my imperfections) which can be so hard, but I know that if I’m not happy with me then I can’t be happy with others either. It’s a hard process, because the devil is always trying to play mind games with us…always!
Lord, give me strength today and help me be a blessing to others. And…please help me think before I speak!
How bright is your light?
I can’t sit here and say that my light has not always lit up the room. Heck, there have been days, weeks and years that I feel it has been broken! But thank goodness we have a never ending supply of lightbulbs if we just ask our supplier – Jesus! Thank goodness for His forgiveness, mercy and grace!
A bright light sure does make for a happier life and this momma is a constant work in progress!
That a-ha moment
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”
Romans 3:23-25
It’s really strange how we can hear a story over and over and over again, but never really “get” the message. Has that ever happened to you?? I attended church as a young child, was really active in my church’s youth group throughout high school, baptized when I was a sophomore in high school, graduated from a Christian College…however this year was the first time that I really, truly understood the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us. Maybe it’s because I’m a mom and the thought of sending my children to a horrible death for people who are so unworthy is hard for me to grasp.
Take a look at Isaiah 53. Jesus was a normal guy; “nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance.” He was perfect in every way. He had done no wrong EVER and had NEVER deceived anyone. He was the epitome of love and perfection. Yet He suffered a horrible death for you and me. Would you do that for complete strangers?? I think if we were completely honest the answer would be a big, fat N.O.!
“But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance one would scarcely know he was a man.” Isaiah 52:14
After all of the wonderful work he had done for so many during His life, He was despised and rejected. He was treated harshly…beaten, whipped, stabbed…before a bunch of strangers who thought He was being punished. Little did they know that it was the Lord’s plan and Jesus HAD a choice, and He CHOSE to roll up his sleeves and follow the Lord’s will. He suffered rejection and so much pain for us. Now that, my friend, is love!! Thank you, Jesus, for trading places with me!❤️
This world is not my home…I’m just a-passing through
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Pinterest?! You can literally find anything about anything. It’s like a crafter/DIYers paradise! Can I get an AMEN? I can spend hours just looking at all of the cool projects folks have created and shared. Lately, I have especially loved all of the Bible journal ideas and prompts. If you’re scared to dive in because you think that you can’t, just check out Pinterest. Take an idea and make it your own…or heck, if you like it that much just copy it in your Bible. There are TONS of free printables out there. (ScribblingGrace has quite a few for starters!)
While searching for Bible journaling ideas I kept seeing the cutest little campers. I wasn’t sure if I could actually draw it, so I printed one out that I liked and traced it. Yep…tracing is TOTALLY acceptable. You really DON’T have to be an artist to Bible journal!! I decided that I wanted to try out watercolor, so I watched a few tutorials online (Pinterest yet again!) and just went for it. I was so excited with how my first watercolor pages turned out. I actually used mixed media for this.
- Watercolor – I wasn’t sure if I would be any good at watercolor, so I decided to just pick up a $5 kit and brush from AC Moore. It ended up being really easy and believe it or not it takes quite a bit of water before you end up with any bleed through.
- Brush Pens – I found a small set at Barnes & Noble for about $13. They are double ended, so I’ve actually gotten quite a bit of use out of them. In fact, they are my daughter’s favorite when she’s coloring with me.
- Acrylic Paint – I have TONS around the house, so this was a “freebie.” And just like watercolor, the acrylic paint really doesn’t bleed through the pages.
- Washi Tape – Be careful with this one!! It’s addictive, because the selections out there are many and every one of them are a “must have.” A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! They are range in price, but just hit the sale bins and clearance aisle at your local craft store.
First, I traced the camper and did a little free hand with the trees, rug and stars. I just used a black fine tip pen that I use at work. They are my favorite pen/marker – felt tip. Next, I decided that I wanted to highlight the passages that resonated with me, so I covered them with washi tape. Washi tape is VERY forgiving and can be removed without ripping the page and the watercolor didn’t bleed through the tape. Certainly not like your regular tape!
Once my verses were covered it was time to attempt watercolor – YIKES! I have to admit that the black pen did bleed a little when the watercolor touched the lines, so I had to be really careful. (However, I think it’s OK.) Watercolor does take some time to dry, so I just pulled out my hairdryer and put that bad boy on hot and LOW! — be sure that you use the lowest setting so that the paint doesn’t get blown all over your pages. Once everything was nice and dry, I used my brush pens and markers to color the camper, rug and stars. I did have A LOT of bleeding from the marker on the moon, so that’s where the acrylic paint came in handy. I just covered that little mistake up. 🙂 Lastly was the lettering. I would love to be able to do the fancy lettering and calligraphy, but I’m not there yet and that’s OK, too.
At the end of the day, this is my Bible and I LOVE it! So, don’t be afraid to give it a try!
HOPE
Everyday Carly 