Lenten Art Journal Day 4

Today's word prompt is confession.  Rather than reliving my gradeschool memories of going to confession (bless me, Father, for I have sinned...) I was instead brought to Philippians 2:9-11 and our Christian confession of faith.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus was not simply a man or prophet.  He is the Son of God, truly God and truly man.  Amen!

The artsy stuff: acrylic paints for the background - applied with a card; color drops (white and tan) with Mr. Huey's color mists.  Stamped and embossed "confess" other words with black Sharpie.  Green sequins.

Lenten Challenge - Day 3 Art Journal

Today's word prompt is suffering. There is so much suffering in this world.  We see and witness it in the world and we experience it in our own lives.  We can be weighed down by so much pain - physical, emotional, spiritual.  My 6 year old daughter's devotion last night talked about life sometimes not being fair.  It encouraged her to remember that when life seems unfair to our hearts, that we change our focus and choose to look at how we've been blessed - not how we've been "cheated."  In my own devotion this morning I came to 1 Peter 5:10 - And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  These words provide me, and you, with so much hope.  God knows all we suffer.  It pains Him to see us suffer.  Sometimes God does take away that pain, but more often He does something perhaps even more miraculous.  He takes that suffering and uses it to draw us closer to Him and to make us into someone new and improved. He uses our suffering to improve and refine our character.  He himself restores us.  He himself confirms us.  He himself strengthens us.  He himself establishes us. No, suffering is not something we choose for ourselves and it's not the life God wants for us either, but He knows how to handle it.  Today this verse reminded me that my suffering and any pain that I keep trying to process on my own belongs in the hands of the one who can handle it and has promised to handle it.  My own human heart will try to turn suffering into bitterness, but giving it over to God will allow Him to turn it into something beautiful.  May the God of all grace take all our pains and sufferings - the physical hurts, the losses, the rejections, the doubts - and refashion them to reflect His glory.  Amen
 

Journaling Throught Lent

We are in the season of Lent and this year I've again been inspired by the daily word prompts offered by CatholicSistas.com and their Lenten Photo a Day Challenge.  You can find the list and their post explaining the Lenten journey HERE.
I prepared a notebook and my intention was to take a photo a day, post to instagram and write a short devotion as I did last year, but I was led in a different direction once I started.  Instead of the notebook housing my photos, I am creating an art journal entry based on a scripture reference inspired by the word of the day and wherever my own devotions lead me.  As I personally spend this time with the Word, I pray that my art and reflections will bless and inspire others to search scripture as well.  Lent is a journey.  A chance to refocus, reset your gaze, and move closer to the cross.  Here are my first two entries.

Day 1 - symbol.
Reflecting on the symbol of ashes, I used some of the ashes from our fireplace to draw the cross and smudge the page.
The verse is Joel 2:13 - Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

Day 2's word prompt was prayer.  This verse from Psalms spoke to me.  
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.  Psalm 4:1

I didn't realize how much these two verses complemented each other until I put them together here.  I'm excited to see how God leads me throughout these Lenten devotions.

Blessings, friends!

Bible Journaling...Journey Toward God

In December I stumbled across a new (to me) idea that made my heart skip a beat.  Bible Journaling. The practice of bringing my faith into my crafty, creative life and my crafty, creative life into my faith has been familiar to me for awhile, but this was a little different somehow.  I've always highlighted or written my notes in my bible, but I've never doodled or drawn or added stickers and such. In December I was browsing Pinterest and found photos of bibles that were beautifully and meaningfully embellished.  Then I found a blog or two and then a whole community of bible journalers on Facebook.  Whoa! I was drawn in - literally.  I purchased a journaling bible.  It's an ESV translation with wide outer margins for notes and so much more.
Why did this discovery make my heart skip a beat?  God gave me a gift in my creativity.  This is just one more way that I can use it to draw closer to him and to then share the good news with others. When I work in my journaling bible I am spending more time in the Word. I process God's message(s) to me as I focus on a verse or passage. Sometimes I share my work, which I believe God uses to bless others.  One post of mine in the Bible Journaling group on Facebook reached over 1,000 people.  Go God!!!
A few Sundays ago I began bringing my journaling Bible to service and opened it during the sermon to take sermon notes. I sketched and wrote and doodled during the sermon.  It really helped me focus and hone in on specific messages for me.  Later during the week, I went back and read more and colored in my notes.  Again, a great way for me to further Bible study.

Writing, drawing, painting, coloring is not new.  Just type in "illuminated manuscript bible" in the google search bar.  This has been done for centuries.  A more recent endeavor is the Illuminated Saint John's Bible Project.  Creating art next to the Words of the ultimate Creator. It couldn't be more appropriate.  On the Saint John's Bible website, it is written, "it is our hope that the Scriptures will open up to you and that your journey here will become a journey toward God."  Aha moment.  Bible journaling is not about the art that gets created.  It's about the artist and the one who created her (or him).  It's about what happens in the process.  It's the Holy Spirit speaking, revealing, drawing me in as I listen and process and create and when guided, to share with others and pray the Holy Spirit works with and on them, too. Amen!  

Learn more about Bible Journaling:
St. John's bible project site
A great blog - Shanna Noel
Bible Journaling Community on Facebook
My Pinterest Board

Advent Journaling

I'm following along with Shanna Noel and her Advent devotion journaling.  And yes, I'm also doing a December Daily.  They may intersect and overlap and I'm okay with that.  This morning I spent some time reading Isaiah and was refreshed with the thought and promise of hope.  Hope in Jesus.  That not only is he coming at Christmas, but that he is already here - in word and in sacrament.  Yesterday I encouraged and challenged my Sunday School class to slow down this season of waiting by spending time daily in God's word.  I hope and pray that I will be meeting with him daily and sharing some of what I learn and create.

I completed this page in a journal using my Bible and an Advent devotional for inspiration and pens, watercolors, and watercolor pencils.

For more bible journaling inspiration, be sure to check out Shanna Noel's blog HERE.

Praise the Lord, O My Soul Canvas

I read Psalm 103 this morning and I just had to craft something with it.  I turned to my Explore and designed this 12x12 canvas in Design Space.  I used spray paint on the canvas - the aqua blue first, applied the vinyl over that and then sprayed white over it all.  The vinyl peeled off quickly and easily to reveal the bright blue lettering.  I did use a sanding sponge to get some of the blue to show through around the edges and that was it.  What a fun project for me - I was singing His praises the whole time.  :)  Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Daughter of the King Inspiration Painted Sign

My Cricut and I had some time together and I was able to create this wonderful sign over the last few days.  I wanted to create something based on scripture to hang in my daughter's room or bathroom about how loved she is and how beautiful God made her.  I designed the word art in Design Space, cut it with my Explore on a sheet of 12x24 vinyl.
The board is a scrap of plywood that I painted several colors.  I applied the letters and then painted white over the whole top, peeling off the vinyl letters to reveal the colors underneath. My daughter thought there should be more "rainbow" showing through, so I got out the sandpaper and went at it. We both love it :)
I sealed it with a layer of Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating.  We'll find a spot and hang it up this weekend.