Scripture Word Art Revisited

Sometimes I like to doodle while I'm listening to a sermon on Friday evening or Saturday. I love creating scripture word art, especially if I haven't done it in awhile. I broke out the pens and my new botanical line art book I borrowed from the library and went to town. I think I'm going to have to buy myself a copy because I love it so much! You can see the little botanicals I added to these scriptures below. 

 Succulents are fun and simple to add to any word art.

This one is my favorite though. I love how the vines and flower worked with the scripture. I plan on working on some more of these. I love this book and want to try more of the botanicals in it.

(click to see it on Amazon)

Things are really picking up now as we gear up for our soft start for school with the beginning of homeschool co-op next week. I'm teaching THREE classes which is going to be hectic, but our numbers have jumped this year from 8 to 25 students! So that's very exciting and we are hoping for continued increasing of the numbers!

Have an awesome week! I'll be back next week with a book review. 

Getting Crafty and a new scripture WordArt

We have our 3rd annual church enrichment weekend coming up and I'm in charge of the favors. I opted to go with ordering personalized pens (from PenXpress) but making notepads for everyone. I ordered blank 3x7 notepads from Amazon, and then designed the rest! 
Something not a whole lot of people know is that I am a published papercrafter. I worked for a magazine (not available now) and designed papercrafting items with rubber and digital stamps and other goodness. So I have a MASSIVE collection of papercrafting materials left--like cardstock and patterned paper. Needless to say, creating 100 notepads, hardly touched my supply. LOL.
I designed a WordArt using the scripture theme for the enrichment weekend. Do you like the graphic I designed? I do too. It turned out simply lovely!

Sabbath Scriptures and Inspiration

Hello and happy Saturday--and happy Sabbath to those who keep it. ❤ It's been awhile since I've shared some of the graphics that I've made to match scriptures, so I thought I would add a few of my most recent ones--most of them made the last couple weeks.
During a sermon from last week, our pastor mentioned a fantastic phrase which got me thinking. I did some searching on the original source and discovered it came from the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I just HAD to make graphic.

Another scripture which is a surprisingly encouraging passage is Exodus 2:24-25. At first glance it doesn't seem like it is--but when you take it apart and look at the verbs used, you realize that it can describe what we hope God does for us. Just think, this is what is written after 400 years of slavery in Egypt--we see that God hears, remembers, looks, and acknowledges His people. In HIS time. He fulfilled His promise and His plan. We too can count on God to do the same for us.

 On the way home from the store, I was listening to KLove. While listening I heard something interesting. The segment was about how all too often we say Christ is the King of our hearts...yet our lips don't reflect this. That our speech doesn't support this. That our lips don't spend enough time praising God and giving Him glory. And I had to think of my own mouth.

 Finally today we heard a lovely lesser-known scripture that hides in the minor prophet of Zephaniah 3:17. I just LOVED the words that were in it and I had to make a graphic to go with it. 

*****

Inspiration from Isaiah 41 {Nature and Verse}

Have you ever read Isaiah 41? 

I'm sure I have before, but it came back into my view today and I spent some time reading it and

May You have a Blessed Passover

I just wanted to wish your family and most blessed Passover and Unleavened Bread Holy week! We are blessed that Christ became our Passover lamb so that we could have a relationship with God and future life with God and Christ in His Kingdom!

My boys are excited for the upcoming week as we enjoy our special Unleavened Bread treats--especially our breakfasts of Dutch Babies, the fantastic oven pancake. I bought 18 boxes of Triscuits this week--hey there were on sale and we adore them! All different flavors too. And I bought me a wedge of my favorite smoked Gouda cheese! Yum!

We look forward to the Spring feasts every year. Such a joy to keep and celebrate our deliverance and freedom from the bondage of sin!

Have a simply wonderful weekend!

He Will Be Your Guide {5 Minute Friday}

Whew! After a busy week last week with the 5 Days of Back to School Blog Hop, it was nice to have a slower week of blogging. I have been busy canning my garden produce instead. That's a lot of work, but the reward of seeing your jars on the shelf makes it totally worth it! Today is Friday, and that means it's time for another edition of Five Minute Friday. This week, the word is GUIDE.

GUIDE.
What is the definition of guide?
Well, as a noun there are four definitions:
1. a person who advises or shows the way to others
2. a thing that helps someone form an opinion or make a decision or calculation
3. a structure or marking that directs the motion or positioning of something
4. a soldier, vehicle, or ship whose movement determines the position of others

And then there is guide as a verb:
1. show or indicate the way
2. direct or have an influence on the course of action

Have you ever thought about how the God and His Son Jesus Christ fulfills all of these definitions?

God is our Guide--someone who advises and shows us the way. He is a guide who helps us form opinions and make decisions through His Word (the Bible) and Holy Spirit. His words to us through the Bible are a structure and marking that directs the motion we should be making. And He is a guide like a ship that should determine our movement as we follow Him. But let's not forget that He also GUIDES. His Son guides us by showing us the way we should go. He even calls Himself "the Way". And God directs and has an influence on the course of action this world takes.

Here are a few scriptures that reveal this to us:

Psalm 31:3
"For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me."

Psalm 32:8
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye."

Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path."

Isaiah 49:10
"They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them."

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

So this boils down to the question I have for you today...
Will you let God be the full definition of guide in your life?
Will you let Him BE the guide AND guide you?

I know how hard it is to let someone else take control, when I am so confident that MY WAY is best. It takes humility to allow God to be the Guide in your life, not battling Him for control. It takes a soft and willing heart to allow Him to guide is in the way we should go. I pray that I will allow Him to be MY guide and that I will seek after His guidance with my whole heart.

Join us this week!

May you and yours be blessed today and as we enter another weekend.

A Place To Belong {Five Minute Friday}

It is interesting to me that the scripture that I wrote down today ended up including the word for this week's Five Minute Friday. Coincidence? Maybe. But I call it inspiration. The word for this week is PLACE. When I think of place, I often think of the phrase, A Place to Belong. There are SOOO many people who eagerly long for a place to belong. Many are in situations in this life

Try Me Now In This {Five Minute Friday}

The word this week for Five Minute Friday is TRY. When you think of the word TRY, one of the most famous quotes to pop in my head is from Star Wars. You probably are familiar with it too. The Jedi Master Yoda tells young Luke Skywalker "Do or do not, there is no try." It's a great motivational quote to remind us that every action we take we are either doing or not doing something. Also that we must remember to say "I will" instead of "I'll try." But you know, that is just one quote that comes to mind with the word TRY. There are several scriptures in the Bible with the word TRY in them. One of my favorites though comes from a lesser known book Malachi. 

Inspired Word of God {Five Minute Friday}

Five Minute Friday has the word: Inspire as our theme this week. When I think of inspiration I think of God's Word. Nothing can inspire me more than when I find a beloved passage from the Bible. The words fill my heart with so much love and encouragement. Words for any situation. It doesn't matter if you are brokenhearted, devastated, mourning, feeling lost, feeling joyful, feeling thankful, feeling despair. There is a verse that will surely comfort and inspire you. One of my favorite passages of inspiration can be found in Micah 6:8. It's a passage that I fall back on when I need a "reboot" about what is important in this life when things seem to be getting out of hand. 

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? ~Micah 6:8

The next time life starts getting out of hand and you wonder what you need to do next, remember this passage. Do justly. Love mercy. And walk humbly before God. Think of what kind of world we would live in if everyone chose to follow these three rules of thumb? Talk about a major world reboot!

Have a beautiful rest of your weekend!

You can play along too!

What Does the Lord Expect of Me? {Five Minute Friday}

Here we are again on Five Minute Friday. I don't know about you, but our sunset was gorgeous! As the sun was preparing to set, my husband was able to roll his last bale of the first cutting for our hay season. He got done just before our Sabbath began and is happy he won't have to go back to rolling on Sunday like they thought. But as I was saying, here we are at another Five MInute Friday, and this week's theme is...expect!

Future and Hope {5 Minute Friday}

I cannot believe that this is the first Five Minute Friday post for June--because I am in denial that it is even June!! Hello? 2017? What are you doing to me?! This week the theme is "Future", and there is nothing more perfect for this, than a favorite scripture and song. So join me as I jot some notes over the next 5 minutes about "Future".

AND GO

Future
There is a song that I sing as a duet with my mom that has the most gorgeous words and it is based on one of my most favorite scriptures in Jeremiah 29:11-13. I encourage you to click on this link and then read the words as you listen to this most inspiring and encouraging song about a future filled with the love of God the Father.

Open Wide Your Mouth {5 Minute Friday}

It's time for another week of Five Minute Friday--where I set my timer and get to ramble about a word inspired theme for 5 minutes. Last week, it revolved around the word enough. This week, we have another e word--empty.

AND GO

Empty
What do you think of when you hear someone say they are empty? In my mind, I assume this means that they need to be fed. But fed what? Are they empty in their belly? Are they empty in their heart? Are they empty in their minds?
I know there have been times when I had a deep deep hunger. This usually happens around the Day of Atonement--a Holy Day of God that I observe--which requires a complete 24 hr fast. Boy, do I feel EMPTY as that 24 hr mark nears. And if I could just get anything--even the smallest bite, or smallest glass of water, I knew that my hunger would be satiated. My emptiness, maybe for a moment, less. Or other times where you feel the need that you HAVE to have _____________ or you will STARVE! Desperate to eat anything! Just give me something!
But what about God? Do you treat the desire to seek out His word, His gospel as if YOU are empty? Do I do this? Do I reach for spiritual food with the same desire as physical food? We are supposed to. We are supposed to seek Him out in the good times, as well as the bad times. To be that one thing we crave, as if we were empty inside. For we ARE all empty without Him. And He PROMISES that He will fill us. 
We can read in the gospel accounts of His Son, Jesus Christ referring to Himself as the bread of life and the living water. That if we eat and drink of Him (as in partake in His way of life, commandments, and gospel) every day, it will sustain us forever. We won't be empty.
One of my favorite Psalms reads:

I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. ~ Psalm 81:10

He promises to FILL our emptiness inside--that emptiness of heart and mind. That emptiness that can wear us down. That emptiness that drives us to try to fill it with something--ANYTHING to make it go away. But the emptiness will continue to grow like an all consuming black hole, unless we choose to FILL it with God. So many broken people out there...who believe that they can live life without choosing God. And so they stay broken. They stay empty. Hungering for something...but they just can't seem to find it.

If only they would look up... He's there.  He's waiting.  He will FILL your emptiness. If only you will let Him.

AND STOP

Thanks for joining me in this week's 5 Minutes Friday post! We are finishing out our Spring Break today and Monday, returning to "school" on Tuesday. I am hoping to have some fun with the boys in the first week back to get back into the groove--but only Tuesday to Thursday because...FRIDAY is the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati! I am so excited to go this year--mostly because for the first time ever, my mom is going with me! It will be great to have her around for picking her brain about things. I am also eager to try doing some LIVE footage of the convention while I am there that day. 
And don't forget that NEXT WEEK (April 17-21) is the first of our 5 Days of Homeschool...Blog Hop with the Schoolhouse Review Crew! I will be sharing my topics for next week's posts on Sunday--so make sure you come and check it out!
Have a simply marvelous weekend, my friends! 

Friend of God {Five Minute Friday}

Oh man. What a week here at the farm! My mama had a full hip replacement on Wednesday, so it's been a bit nutsy here as I helped my dad with her on surgery day, and off and on the last couple days. And let's not forget crazy "SprInter" weather going on. LOL. Can you believe Monday is the first day of Spring?! Does YOUR weather look springish? Mine sure doesn't! LOL. But here we are on another Friday and that means time for another entry in Five Minute Friday!

AND GO

Kaleo philos theos

He was called the Friend of God

Are you familiar with this statement from the Bible? Do you know who this is referring to? Many do not. But the man who received the distinction as being known as the Friend of God was the forefather Abraham. We can find this description in James 2:23.

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

Can you imagine what an honor it would be for God to call you a friend? Obviously, it's not something that is to be taken lightly, for the title is only held by Abraham. So think about what that means to be a person that God calls a friend. A friend is someone who has a conversation with you whenever you want to talk. Someone who cares about the things you do. Someone who regularly takes time for you. Someone you can have deep meaningful conversations with. Someone to hold you when you cry and laugh when you are happy. 

Does this describe the relationship that YOU have...with God?

Do you feel like He is YOUR friend? Or is He the acquaintance you "know" but don't associate very much with? Or maybe a fair weather friend--for you anyways---do you only "need" Him when times are rough? Do you believe God with all your heart? Are you willing to give up EVERYTHING if He "calls" you to walk with Him? 

Let's be thinking about our relationship with our mighty Father. Let's check to make sure that we value a friendship with God more than any friendship on this earth...but most of all, let's make ourselves worthy to be called...A Friend of God!

AND STOP

I hope you have a great week. It seems like it will never slow down here. We just have one thing and then another. But hopefully the weather will improve to just plain old Spring and leave SprInter behind...LOL

Finding Joy {Five Minute Friday}

Hello my friends! I am so sorry that I have missed the last couple weeks of Five Minute Friday! It's been so busy! I hope that you are staying sane in the craziness of this time of year. We are looking forward to peaceful completion of the year, and we hope to finish the year with...joy.

AND GO

Joy The word JOY has a special meaning for me. As many of you are aware, my husband and I have had infertility issues for several years. When I experienced my second miscarriage (I've had four, including an ectopic), I was at a very low point. I was very bitter. I saw several unmarried young girls getting pregnant during that time, and went through the "why not me" stage. Then in the fall of 2012, I discovered I was pregnant after trying since January 2011. I was so happy and thankful. We went to Georgia to attend our annual week long Feast of Tabernacles--and on the evening before everything began, I started having a miscarriage. There I was away from home, celebrating one of my most favorite of God's feasts--more joyous and eager to celebrate thanks to our blessing that year--and then BAM. I have to start with a miscarriage. There was no joy. There was pain. There was sorrow. There was bitterness.
The next morning--for the sun always rises no matter what--I got up and I felt bitterness to my core. I was full of the "not fairs". So I decided I needed to have a long talk with God. I walked out onto the beach of Jekyll Island. As I climbed up onto the bridge that goes over the rocks to the beach, the golden sun hit the water and made it sparkle. The waves crashed on the shore. The sand stretched seemingly endless. And I felt so very small. The vastness of creation weighed down on me. But it was beautiful. Even in my bitterness, I was moved. So as I admired God's handiwork, I gave my heart to Him again. I asked that He remove the bitterness. That I needed to find...joy. I didn't even know what to pray. 
So I simply asked Him: "Lord. I need You to help me find JOY every day." 

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:10

Would you also believe that a few hours later, when we attended church that day--the very first of my friends that I saw was a darling beautiful woman...and when I saw her moving towards me, I just cried...because her name--is Joy. God brought me Joy--I had asked, He had answered in a way beyond what I had even prayed for. And as it turned out, Joy found me every day that week. She put her arms around me and together we praised God for His mercy and love. 
God answers prayers. His joy is our strength. His joy is MY strength. 
I continue to seek the Lord's JOY every day. 

AND STOP May you and yours have a most blessed weekend--and a most refreshing Sabbath day to those who keep it.

Seek Ye First {Five Minute Friday}

Oh it's been so busy here! We only just got home at 11pm Tuesday night, and the rest of the week has been about getting caught up! But here we are again at another Friday. I am so thankful for my Sabbath rest coming up...I need it! Here we go with this week's Five Minute Friday!

AND GO

Eat. When I think of eating, I think usually of the physical action. I love food. I love to eat. When I am hungry, I actively seek out something to make me feel better. Just like I know you do. But when I think about eating, it also makes me think of one of my most favorite passages in the bible:

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." ~Matthew 6:22-26

I am a worrywort---are you? Yet, here we are admonished to not worry about what we are going to eat or drink. Or wear. Or worry about tomorrow. We are to fix our eyes straight ahead on our ETERNAL future. That if we are focused on filling ourselves with all things related to God, Christ, and our future home in His kingdom, everything else will fall in line. Don't worry about what we are going to eat. Remember--Jesus is the bread of life. If we "eat" of Him, we will not be hungry. If we fill ourselves with God's word, we will be full.

So what is your focus in regards to eating? Are you making sure you are focusing on the right food?
AND STOP

Want to Join in?
***

I hope you and yours have a most blessed weekend and happy Sabbath to all of those who keep it. It's hard to believe we are just a handful of days before the month ends---November is around the corner! Be safe this weekend, as I know it can be pretty crazy in some areas. 

Park yourself {Five Minute Friday}

I almost forgot about Five Minute Friday, because we are down here in Panama City Beach, FL keeping the Feast of Tabernacles with about 1100 other brethren. I'm busy with worship services, music practice, and family adventures--so I can hardly recall what day of the week it is! LOL. But here we go. 

AND GO

Park When I think of park, I come up with three concepts. 1. A place to relax outside--with a playground maybe. A nature escape. (a noun) 2. The act of putting my car between two lines in a parking lot or on a road (a verb) 3. To put yourself in a place to stand still or sit. "park yourself here in the chair!" (a verb)
It's funny, but the first one of these that really hit me, was the third one. Park yourself. I always think about that in regards to going somewhere and STAYING there. Park...stay...Go there and stay there. 
When it comes to God and His way/truth/life, I want to PARK myself in His word. I want to go there and stay there. I did a search to see if the words park or stay are used in that sense in my Bible translation. They aren't. But I can find cases where I can read "remain" or "keep" in the same sense.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. ~John 15:4

Do you park yourself in God's word? Do you do a focused attention to it and STAY in it every day? I know I need to work on it. That's something that I am learning while down here listening to the messages. Over and over they are reminding us that we need to OWN our faith. To STAY in the faith. To PARK ourselves in God's word.
May God help me to do so.
AND STOP

Want to Join in?
***

We have a few more days left, and a lot more worship and adventures to do! I hope you and yours have a beautiful Sabbath day, gorgeous weekend, and blessed week!

Oh That They Would Listen {Five Minute Friday}

Ah. Here we are at another Friday evening. Aren't you so glad that the week is over? I know I sure am. I am heading into my Sabbath now and am so thankful for the rest. As I said last week, I am continuing my participation in the weekly 5 Minute Friday series at Heading Home. Won't you join me as I spend 5 minutes writing about this week's theme?

AND GO

Listen.  When I think of the word LISTEN, I think of the fact that it's an ACTIVE word, even though you are silent. So LISTEN is to be completely engaged on something with all your heart, mind and body. Some refer to it as active listening.
It's hard for humans to really do active LISTENing. We are easily distracted by sights, sounds, and even our own thoughts. How much of a conversation we really miss because we are not devoting ourselves to LISTENing. 
If we have trouble LISTENing to our own selves, is it any wonder that we struggle to LISTEN to God? Time and time again, we can read that we must have the ears to hear His word. That He will talk to us if we would just LISTEN! 
There is a scripture in Psalm 81 that I think really just sums it up.

"Oh that My people would would LISTEN to Me, that Israel would walk in My Ways..." ~ Psalm 81:13

What follows next, and what is really the theme of the whole chapter is the blessings that God would shower down upon the nation if they would only LISTEN to what He (God) had to say and do it.
Last week, I mentioned how God promised to HEAL our land if we turned to Him. Turning to Him requires LISTENING to what He has to say.

Unfortunately, man doesn't want to hear what God has to say. So he refuses to listen.
STOP.

Want to Join in? ***

I hope you and yours have a simply marvelous weekend. It's a spectacular harvest moon outside and the night is just fabulous. I love the changing from summer to fall, don't you?

The joy of the LORD...and an Egg {Free Copywork Printable}

It's amazing where the simple joys can come from. Here on the farm, we have a LOT of joys around us. We find joy in the smell of a summer storm. We find joy in the sight of the puppies tumbling over each other on their short legs. We find joy in the smell of fresh cut alfalfa hay. We find joy in the wobbling newborn calf. We find joy in the trickle of a stream that was dry before the storm. We find joy in the sound of the whirling wings of the hummingbirds at our feeder. Out here, there is joy to be found everywhere you look. 
Including... The chicken coop...

We find joy in our very first egg!

We didn't know it was there, until I went to make sure the coop was still watertight after our 2" of rain. I opened the roost door to make sure the sawdust was still dry and as I was closing the door, this beautiful brown oval orb caught my eye in the nesting box. What a smile it brought to the boys as well as myself. 

In that moment, joy was in the egg as we marveled at God's creation of the chicken!

And so, since I was messing around with new fonts and new border doodles, I decided to throw together a simple copywork for you. 

Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

~Nehemiah 8:10

DOWNLOAD NEHEMIAH 8:10 COPYWORK

Make sure you go and grab your zip file. I included three versions of the copywork. Two for cursive (with primary lines and with regular lines) and one for print (with primary lines). I hope you will enjoy using these and look for more being created over the coming months as I play around with new designs!

***

There is joy to be found anywhere you look in the world. When you look for it, your sorrows begin to fade away. So look for the joy in your world. It is there if you will just really open your eyes to see. Even if it's just a simple brown egg.