Saturday, March 25, 2017

Make Music in Your Heart {Bible Art Journaling}

Bible Art Eph 5-19 Make Music in Your Heart

Since I started Bible Art Journaling a few years ago, I have been amazed at how the process focuses my attention in new ways. For example, I had not previously realized how many passages deal with music, singing, praising God with music, all in the heart.

Often, when considering a passage to illustrate in my Journaling Bible, I am drawn to these passages because I have such a HEART for MUSIC and LOVE to PRAISE GOD in that way. Coming across this topic so often makes me understand that it is important to God that I praise Him with music.

Today’s passage is one of those. From Ephesians 5 (NIV):

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

#BibleArtJournaling #BibleArt #IllustratedFaith #FaithArt #ScriptureArt #MusicInMyHeart #PraiseHimWithMusic #InktenseBlocks

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

From My Daughter to Single Moms {Heartstrings}

Shar's Fam at Chr 2016 1

Our daughter has been a single mom for many years. For 3 1/2 of those years, that has been her offical and legal designation. She knows whereof she speaks. A few months ago she posted this on Facebook, and she posted it again today, in honor of #NationalSingleParentDay.

Begin Quoted Material

In honor of Single Parents Day today, I thought I'd RE-share something I wrote a while back…
FOR ALL THE SINGLE MOMS I KNOW...
I hate storms. No really. I do. I really, really hate them. Why? Honestly? They make me realize that something bad could happen. Some time, something bad COULD actually happen. And if it did - if something DID happen - what would I do? I should be prepared, shouldn't I? I'm a mom - I'm the sole source of strength and support and knowledge and ability. OK then, soooo I should be prepared. But I'm not. Oh boy. I am SO not prepared. Why am I not? What is wrong with me? I'm a TERRIBLE mother!! I don't know if the batteries in the flashlight are working. I don't know if the flashlight even HAS batteries. Wait...I don't know WHERE THE FLASHLIGHT IS!!! Do I even have a flashlight?????

But - then it hits me. I'm not a terrible mother. I'm just a single mother. I'm an alone mother. I'm a one-too-many-things-to-do mother. And me, just me personally? I'm ACTUALLY a bake-the-best cookies mother and give-the-best hugs and kisses mother. I'm a plant-the-garden and create wonderful, comforting meals mother. I'm a make our home beautiful and comfortable and PEACEFUL and just...HOME...mother. I am not a take charge, take over, fix it up, take care of everything, practical mother. I'm not a spiritual leader, I'm not a rock, I'm not strong, I'm not confident. I'm not a financial wizard. I'm not a ladder climber or a light-bulb changer. I'm not any of those things. But I am a single mother. So...I guess I'll have to be...

Know what? That's okay. Know why? Joshua 1:9. That's why. "Haven't I commanded you: Be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Wherever you go, whatever you do, whenever something bad DOES happen. Wherever you go. WHEREVER!
Praise Jesus...I'm not a single mother after all.

End Quoted Material

#NationalSingleParentDay #MyChildrenAreGreatWriters #NeverAlone #BeStrongAndCourageous #Heartstrings

Monday, March 20, 2017

March Madness {Family Times}

We love March Madness. If possible, we try to get together with our son/wife for some of the games, especially the opening round games. (We like to share in the fun with our grandson, too, but for now, we are separated by a lot of miles—we are in our Washington home right now, and our grandson/wife are in Missouri.)

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Tacos for Supper (really missing our granddaughter Tory, her favorite meal!)

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and
Fresh Berries for Breakfast

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#MarchMadness #FamilyTimes #CinnamonRolls #WAHome

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Believe {Bible Art Journaling}

Bible Art - 1 John 3-23 Believe

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
- 1 John 3:23 (KJV)

 #DistressInk #DistressOxide #BibleArtJournaling #IllustratedFaith #BibleMarginalia #Believe

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Keep On Asking {GraceNotes}

Because it keeps resurfacing in my head/heart, I am sharing more thoughts about one of the Bible passages that I memorized as a little girl. Today, I am sharing thoughts on this passage from my son, Mark Ford, pastor of First Baptist Church, Longview, WA.

Begin quoted material

Some biblical principles take time to understand. I have been wrestling with Matthew 7:7-11 for some time. Jesus said "Keep on asking, seeking, knocking... and it will be given to you." He said, "God won't give you a stone if you ask for bread or a snake if you ask for a fish." This is because He is a good Father, as is clear in the text.

But what if I ask for the wrong thing? Shouldn't I just pray for His Will and be done with it? No. This is not what Jesus taught. He taught us to pray SPECIFIC prayers and to KEEP ON ASKING for what we want or need. So again, what if I ask for the wrong thing? This is where the insight comes in. If I ask for a stone or a snake when I need bread or fish, what will God do? He is a good Father. I can trust Him to answer my prayers in a way that is for my good. This was Jesus' whole point, in fact.

This means something very real. This means I can ask in faith, without fear. This means I can ask for something good without worrying that it might be the wrong thing. See, if what I ask for is not good, my good Father will not give it to me. Why? Because He is a good Father. But beyond that, Jesus was very clear about how we can pray in faith. In fact, He was clear to this extent: IF IT IS GOOD AND I ASK FOR IT, I WILL RECEIVE IT.

I challenge anyone to read the passage mentioned above (or several other places where Jesus tells us to pray specifically and with faith) and prove otherwise. Jesus was clear. Ask in faith, and IF IT IS GOOD, you will receive it. If you do not receive it, though you kept on asking in faith, then you can know that the Father knew it was not the best thing for you. If it is good, and you keep on asking, He will give it to you. Why? Because the Father loves to give good gifts to His children. He loves it!

I've spent months struggling with this, but now I know... I can ask without worrying He will give me what I ask for even if it's actually going to be bad for me. I can also ask knowing that if it is good (and He knows), I will receive it.

Note: This is not health and wealth doctrine, because the fact is that sometimes what God knows is for our good is going to actually be painful. But the point is we can ask for what we think is going to be good without any fear, and God wants us to ask. This is what Jesus clearly taught.

Read Matthew 7:7-11. Struggle with it for months as I have. See if you do not arrive at the same conclusion. ASK. SEEK. KNOCK!!!

End of quoted material

A couple of Faith Art pieces I have shared within the last year (told you, this passage has been on my mind a lot):

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My blog post where I first shared this Bible Art

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My blog post where I first shared this Faith Art

#GraceNotesFromTheSongsInMyHeart
#BibleArtJournaling #FaithArt #CommentaryFromMySonPastor #GoodGoodFather #AskSeekKnock

Thursday, March 9, 2017

GRACEfull in 2017 {Faith Art}

GRACEfull for 2017

I like words. And every year, some people choose a “word for the year.” I’ve never been fond of that idea, because I like lots of words, and no one word could really be my defining word.

But, this year, I am choosing a word to represent my goal for the year. Among my natural “giftings” I do not so much find “mercy” or “grace.” But I want to be merciful, and I want to be full of grace. SO, since it doesn’t come naturally to me, I need to work on it.

So, for 2017, my goal is to be GRACEfull.

#FaithArt# ArtJournal #DistressOxide #DistressCrayons #Gracefull

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Through Misty Eyes: A Reminder From a Stranger {HeartStrings}

Yesterday my husband and I enjoyed a late breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast/lunch restaurants in Vancouver (WA). As we were finishing our coffee, my attention was drawn to a table across the way from me, directly in my line of sight. A middle-aged woman put her arm around the older lady seated next to her. The younger woman hugged the shoulders of the older woman in such a way as to bring their faces close together. Then the younger woman affectionately kissed the cheek of the older woman.

I observed that the women bore a resemblance to each other, enough to make me believe they were mother and daughter. Both women were dressed nicely, with pretty jewelry and make-up, signaling to me that they both considered it a "special occasion" to have breakfast together.

Tears came to my eyes, and I wanted to go over to the table and say to the younger woman, "Yes...you are doing the important thing. Express your love for your mother while you have her with you. These times of being together are precious--how precious will only be known to you after they can no longer occur. So, show your mother that you love her, while you can. It is good for both of you."

But, I didn't go over to her. I know myself. My attempt to choke out the words through the tears would have not been successful.

And so it was that, through my misty eyes, I was reminded by this stranger, of the truth reflected in a line from a poem that came to my mind. (I researched the poem, as I could not remember anything beyond the first line.)

"It is a poem written by English Cavalier poet Robert Herrick in the 17th century. The poem is in the genre of carpe diem, Latin for seize the day. It goes as follows:

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying."

Gather Ye Rosebuds

#GraceNotesFromTheSongsInMyHeart #Watercolor #SketchandPaint

Saturday, March 4, 2017

He Rejoices Over ME? {Bible Art Journaling}

Bible Art Zeph 3-17 Singing Joy Over Me

Music is such an integral part of who I am. I have been thinking a lot lately about the "songs" that are in my heart--literal "music-songs," but also stories of my life that I think of as "songs in my heart." So, this verse came to mind.

It is incredible to think that, as unworthy as I am, my God actually rejoices over ME with singing...I am a song in HIS heart. How awesome is that!

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."
- Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

#BibleArtJournaling #Watercolor