Monday, January 29, 2018

Leaving the Jar {Bible Art Journaling, In the Word}

Bible Art John 4-28 Living Water KJV

In John 4, we are told that Jesus intentionally went through Samaria on his way to Galilee. Near a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph, Jesus sat down to rest at Jacob’s Well. [Side Note: this was one of the more memorable sites for me, that we visited during our trip to the Holy Land in 1977. The well is still there, and we went down inside the cave where the water flows.]

When a woman of Samaria came to draw water, he asked her to give him a drink. She was amazed that a Jewish man asked for a drink from a Samaritan woman, as, she said, Jews do not associate with *Samaritans. (In fact, they usually avoided traveling through Samaria.)

[Side Note: I wonder how it was obvious to her that he was a Jew—how was their appearance different? If so, her amazement must have been immediate when she saw him, even from a distance.]

Jesus broke through three cultural and social barriers of His time (obvious lesson here):

  • He spoke to a woman.
  • He spoke to a Samaritan.
  • He spoke to a woman he knew was an adulteress (a woman who had more than one husband and was with a man she wasn’t married to).

Over the course of their conversation, he offered her living water, eternal life. “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.” (v 14)

After she more fully understood his offer and realized that he was the Messiah (how else could he have known all about her?), she “left her water jar” and went into town to tell all the people. Many believed. They asked Jesus to stay longer than he had planned, and he did. Many more believed. This woman became a missionary immediately after she received Jesus as the Messiah by faith.

Somehow, it seems significant to me that John records that she “left her water jar.” She forgot what she came for…she came for physical water, but the living water that she received was worth so much more than the water she came for… Do I need to leave my water jar at the well and walk away with the more valuable gift?

*More information about the rift between the Jews and the Samaritans can be found at GotQuestions.org, here.

  

#BibleArtJournaling #SamaritanWoman #WomanattheWell #WaterJar #FaithArt #LivingWater #WatercolorinmyBible

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Contentment is Gain {Bible Art Journaling}

Bible Art 1Tim 6-6 Contentment

I came across this verse recently. It hit home, because I recognize that being content is usually a challenge for me. Seems like there is a fine line between being bored/boring and being content. Perhaps contentment is more a spiritual state, whereas boredom is a non-spiritual state relative to activity level.

Also, on a deeper level, I am convicted that contentment should naturally follow a recognition that God is in control and is directing my steps (and the steps of those I love). I say “convicted” because it is an area of my life that I know needs work.

At any rate, when I saw this verse, “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” (1 Timothy 6:6), I knew there was a divine direction, rather than coincidence, behind my “coming across” that verse.

We have beautiful birds visiting our feeders this winter. On Christmas Eve day it snowed here, and I took a few pictures of the cardinals, especially beautiful against the snow.

So when I decided to do a Bible art page on this verse, this beautiful cardinal came to my mind as a “picture” of contentment.

I want to be godly, and I want to be content.

#BibleArtJournaling #BibleArt #FaithArt #cardinalsinMO #cardinalsinthesnow #watercolor #1Timothy6-6 #contentment #GodisinControl

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Bible Study Morning Setting {In the Word}

Bible Study

Colors have a huge effect on my mood. So, I’m big on the colors of my journals, coffee mugs, etc. I know. (You can be like this when you’re retired.)

I am still blitzing to catch up with the Journaling through the New Testament for 2018. The floral journal (Vera Bradley) is my Prayer Journal, which always accompanies my Bible study materials.

#BibleStudy #IlluminatedJournalingThroughtheNewTestament #PrayerJournal #BulletJournal #AlwaysCoffee

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Project Focus {Bible Art, GraceNotes}

The New Year always motivates me to get more organized and focused with my plethora of projects. I have considered about five ways to go with my Bible study/art to start the new year, and I have finally narrowed my focus and decided on a project that fits my desires/needs/personality. I will be doing Journaling Through the New Testament (hosted by a friend in the Bible Journaling World, Jann Gray at Illuminated Journaling). I will be reading a chapter each weekday, writing in my bullet journal as I go, and doing some Bible art along the way, as inspired.

Since I didn’t discover this plan until a few days ago, I’m already behind. So, I’m blitzing with the Bible study right now and will soon be caught up.

Meanwhile, I completed a “page” in my Christian Standard Bible, that page being the Presentation Page. Instead of writing my name, I did a little mixed media with my picture…yeah, it’s a little scary to think about this picture being in this Bible forever; but then, again, it is me right now, so there you have it.


Below is a sample page from the bullet journal (in the journaling world, we call it a BUJO)….this is actually hilarious, because I call myself a journaler and had never heard of a BUJO until I started this New Testament Journaling project! Apparently bullet journaling is a big deal.



I am also totally enjoying the fun of being a planner girl—that is, doing the fun, cutesy style of planning (I’ve kept a notebook since the late 70’s, so this is just a funn-er method of the same thing).

Then, there’s the scrapbooking (my ongoing “project” since 2004), which is caught up for now. (Insert hallelujah here!)

Oh, yes, and the little rock painting…and the sketch and paint journals.

Oh, and the music preparation and practice for the praise band at church.

One would not want to be bored. One is not.

#IlluminatedJournalingNewTestamentJournaling2018 #BUJO #mixedmedia #BiblePresentationPage #FaithArt #IlluminatedJournaling 

Friday, January 12, 2018

After-Christmas Glow (and breath-catching) {My Family, My Heart}

We have had the experience of a rare and precious gift during this holiday season. As a result of several factors coming together in a “perfectly [good] storm,” we had some of our family in our home with us from December 13 to January 7. This made for some crazy times (not even going to count the rolls of paper products and the loads of laundry and the pounds of butter—oh, wait, those things are not in any way related)…but all fantastic and wonderful, as we do not get to be with our family on a regular basis these days. I had lots of help in the kitchen, and we cooked and cooked and cooked (and ate……….).

Tory was here on vacation from her mission work in Mexico. We had not seen her in 17 months. Too long.

The fun times included our Sibling Christmas at our house this year, affording an opportunity for Mark to get to see his aunts and uncles whom he has been missing.

I can see the future enough to realize that we will not always have everyone home for Christmas at the same time. But this year we did, and that’s reason to celebrate.

Tory’s Home!!

12-13 thru 12-16-2017 Tory Mark Kristy here first for  holidays (10)

Playing Marble Board

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Sibling Christmas

12017&18-2017 Sibling Christmas (46) ed to print

My only brother Keith, and my sister Janene. We have been filling our stockings from OUR Mamo and Grandad’s Christmases for the last several years. These stockings (handmade corduroy) are at least 60 years old.

Our Family Christmas

Snack Buffet Christmas Eve

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Reading the Christmas Story (with carols sung)

Brunch

Draft Christmas Shared Folder (16)

Music

Kristy's Pics Christmas (38)Draft Christmas Shared Folder (30)

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Sharida’s Family

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Mark’s Family

Family Christmas 2017

All of us

Grandkids

Grandkids

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Our 52nd Christmas as Husband and Wife

Kristy's Pics Christmas (45)

Bubble Bread, homemade, every year since 1977 (two of these for the last couple of years)!

And, so, now…they have all gone to their separate places of service, leaving us to tend the home-fires. We really miss everyone. I may never adapt to the separation. But we have sweet memories of our time together this holiday season.

#FamilyTime #FamilyChristmas #JoyofFamily #ThankfulforGodSendingHisSon