Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 27: Hope

Hope.

One small word speaks volumes.

Hope.

 But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 37:9

Hope.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

Hope.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Psalm 62:5

Hope.

As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more. Psalm 71:14

As the spring takes root around us and the plants begin to green and bloom, may faith also stir in your soul and bring you peace and hope today.

Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 24: Walk

I took my dog for a walk yesterday. Or, more accurately, she took me for a walk.  She is 60 lbs of puppy stubbornness right now when on a leash.  She wants to go at her own pace (very fast followed by stopping in her tracks to sniff at something unseen, but probably gross) and in her own direction (off the road and into the mud and grassy marsh).  God doesn't keep us on a leash, but I imagine we act much like my 8 month old puppy.  We are x number of pounds of human stubbornness from time to time.  For myself, I've tried to rush God and tried to slow Him down with my own plans.  I've wandered from His directed path and gotten muddy.  This isn't anything new to God.  In the book of Jeremiah, God shares through the prophet His view of His children, repeating how they have walked in stubbornness, walked into sideways and not the highway, failed to walk in His law and statutes (Jeremiah7:24, 11:8, 18:15, 44:10).  But that's not how God wants it.  He longs to bring us onto his pathways and keep us from stumbling (Jeremiah 31:9).  In the New Testament, John encourages us to walk in the light, the truth, and in love (1 John 1:7, 2 John 1:4-6).  A few more months and many more walks and I know our puppy will be a pro at walking and jogging alongside me without pulling my elbow apart.  I only hope and pray that I'll be better at walking alongside my God - in His light, truth, and love.

Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 23: Water

Last spring we had some pretty heavy rainstorms around here.  The front of our property slopes down and a large pool of water formed at the bottom.  It is very hard for our daughter to resist puddles and this was a big one.  She could hardly contain her excitement as she begged to go check it out.  When the rain stopped and the sun came out we put on our rain boots and walked down to the pool of water.  Well, I walked.  She ran.  She didn't hesitate to step in.  Then she sat in.  Then she swam in.  She completely immersed herself in that pool of water. I didn't stop her as her joy and laughter was contagious.  

In scripture, water often represents faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told the crowds in Jerusalem, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive...  John 7:37-39   

As I reflect on this photo and that experience, I pray that my faith, and the faith of my daughter, will be such that we always race to the Word and completely and without hesitation immerse ourselves in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I pray we always have a thirst for the living water.  I pray that our hearts will overflow with that water and we can share with others the source of our joy and laughter.

Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 22: Strength

Who do you think of when you think of strength?  One of the first people that come to mind for me is my husband.  He's kind of the strong, silent type.  One of the things I admire most about him is that he'd be the first to admit that any strength he appears to have is not his own.  He relies on a strength bigger than any of us are capable of.  There are many, many places in scripture than refer to God as our source of strength.  One of my favorites is Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Did you catch that? He is very present. The verb used is present, active, now.  Not later, not only when we need it, but God and His strength is available to us at all times.  Lean into that.  Boast not about any strength that we may or may not have.  Boast only in Christ and what our Father is for us.

Silhouette Cards

I made a quick set of note cards today using a few different silhouette images featuring dogs from A Child's Year.  I love that cartridge!  For paper, I grabbed one of my DCWV stacks.  I recently found "The Snapshot Stack" on clearance, so I grabbed it, some washi tape, clear sentiment and stitching stickers from SRM, and a few other odds and ends (enamel dots, twine, paper clip) to create these cards.

Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 21: Penitential

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:8-9

It's snowing (again) here in Virginia.  I snapped this photo shortly after the snow began to fall and cover a black rubber mat we have on our back deck.  Today's photo challenge word is "penitential" and the mat somehow reminded me of sin - black, complicated, winding through my soul.  The snow falling onto the mat reveals its pathways just as our encounters with God reveal our sin.  If we want a closer relationship with God, we must confess all.  He convicts us and shows us what He wants to heal in us.  Sometimes it's a painful process as we really don't want those dark paths revealed, but it is necessary.  And God is faithful.  He forgives.  He cleanses.  He clothes us in his righteousness.  Isaiah 1:18 teaches, "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."   As I looked out onto my back deck a short time later, the mat was gone, covered in a blanket of pure, white, dazzling snow.

DCWV March Stack-a-holic Callenge

The White Ginger Stack from DCWV has been one of my favorites.  I love the bright colors tempered with the brown.  The shiny foil elements are awesome, too.  It's so easy to put together a layout using stacks and of course a sketch.  See the full sketch and more layouts at DCWV's blog.
This layout, by the way, includes photos from May of last year - whoo hoo!  I'm catching up :)