Sunday, January 31, 2021

Tel Lachish


Welcome to the City Gate at Lachisch.
 The entrance to the fortified city
 from the time of the Kings of Judah
was via an impressive gateway enclosure
consisting of an outer and inner gatehouse.
The gate at Tel Lachish is the largest one
 in Israel dating to the First Temple period. 
It was discovered in 2016 and fully uncovered in 2018.


In between was an open, paved plaza.
The gateway was the beating heart of the city-
the scene of commerce, judgment and punishment, 
and cultic activities. The prophets spoke in the gateways,
kings sat, and elders and judges
 gathered to hear the latest news.
The gate had a primary military function, 
and guards were posted here,
and the doors were locked at night.



The inner gate from the time of King Hezekiah.

The iron works stand out along the hillside 
depicting the great battles fought here.
This row of chairs was very impressive. 
The back of the chairs showed
how long each King reigned.





We know the story of Sennacherib's conquest 
of Tel Lachish in 701 BC  from the archaeological record
 as well as the Bible. 
It was also chronicled in wall reliefs 
in the conqueror's palace in Ninevah. 
We were the only people here on the day we visited. 
A couple came as we were leaving. 
This is off the path of normal visitors to Israel,
 but worth a stop.





A  Canaanite Temple was discovered in Feb. 2020 at Lachish
and was one of the biggest discoveries in Israel in 2020.
When they found the city gate a few years ago,
 they found many cult symbols 
and perhaps some of the desecration
 that was part of Hezekiah's rampage 
against the false gods.
                                Hezekiah was a godly king. 
He saw evil on the way and prepared for it, 
but He trusted God. He got ready and He trusted. 
When it went from bad to worse- he still trusted God.
It is hard to take in everything 
of the implications of discoveries at Lachish, 
but that revelation might be the biggest story-
trust God no matter what.




Friday, January 29, 2021

When Practice Becomes Gift

 

When I began working with the 
Visual Church Year resources 
for Visual Faith Ministry, my plan was to simply
have a binder to show "others" how to use them.
Imagine my surprise now that I am
 into my 4th year of doing this practice.
Somewhere it became worship into the week.
The setting up of a "place to worship" 
for each week of the month
 became the entry to set prayer and praise
 on a 2 page layout.
When Covid happened,
 it became the way that I set 
about preparing for time in His Word. 
The three ring binders 
have a new home this week.
An ONION SETS drawer 
from a Hardware store fit the bill.
The Journey gathered.
A Practice started.
And the Practice becomes Gift.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Worship into the Week- The Appointed Time

 


Worship into the Week-  
The Appointed Time
The Unmarried and the Widowed
1 Corinthians 7: 25-40

Some encouragement and wise words
 from Paul to the Corinthians here about marriage
 and remaining unmarried. 
Relationships and family take our time
 and create complications with our priorities.
Remaining unmarried can be God's Kingdom plan.
Marriage is also a part of God's Kingdom plan.
It is the anxieties over our marital state
 that can create challenges.
v.29...."the appointed time has grown very short."
v. 31 "For the present form 
of this world is passing away."
 This section of Scripture speaks 
to singleness, but the larger framework
 is about living in light of eternal realities
 rather than our present circumstances.
It is about keeping one eye on the sky
 and another one on our earthly state,
 for the Lord is returning. 
He is coming back.
No matter what our marital state, 
we can ask the Lord to help us 
to be more Cross-centered in our lives.
We don't know how much TIME we have.
Supplies:
Visual Faith Ministry Printable
Magazine Cutouts
Colored Pencils


Saturday, January 23, 2021

As I Have Loved You- Scripture Writing Project

 

I was inspired by Katie Helmreich's
Tuesdays@8 conversation this past week.

She shared about the As I Have Loved You Project

 from Visual Faith Ministry. 

I decided to set up a simple tag booklet 

to write out the Scriptures for February

 and follow the Scripture Writing Plan she shared.


I added the Scripture verses right onto a tag.

                           I set up a verse on each side of a tag

 unless there were multiple verses,

then I designated a full tag for those verses.

  A three dimensional heart 
was added to the project.

                                 
                                  
                                 Copies of vintage Valentines 

were used as front and back covers.

An easy project to put together-

and ready for February.

Other Supplies:

As I Have Loved You Project printable

as-i-have-loved-you-project-pack-by-katie-helmreich

Size #9 brown tags 

Metal heart

Fibers

Scrapbook paper

O Ring


Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Worship into the Week- You Know Me

 

Worship into the Week

Psalm 139- Search Me. O God, and Know My Heart

Sometimes in these days when so much backs to the unknown- it is very comforting to read in this section of Scripture that I am known. My Lord knew me even before I was formed. For I am fearfully and wonderfully made. In my church body, it was Life Sunday this past week- to remember and honor the sanctity of life. In today's world  it is also to pray for all the changes that our world needs to save the unborn. This chapter highlights that my days are numbered and written even before I was born. I give thanks for such a tender God toward me.


Supplies:

Visual Faith Ministry Printable

childrens-bulletin-psalm-1391-10-11721

Colored Pencils

Magazine Cutouts

Washi Tape

Sharpie Gel pen

Enduring Word Bible


Friday, January 15, 2021

Light in the Darkness- Keep Silence

      

                                      Light in the Darkness- 

                   A Hymn Journal for Advent and Christmas

                        #7 Let All Mortal flesh Keep Silence                                                                                     

Unhurried coloring and listening for this reflective time.           Finishing up the pages for this chapter in the book.

Some time centering in Isaiah 6.

Veil Their Faces to the Presence. Some of our days lately have felt                                                         like going from bad to worse. But, we have a different ending to our story.

A little bit of the history of the hymn-                     
it tracks to about AD 275.
Finishing up with some work
 in the Isaiah 6 format.
Thankful for God's grace and restoration.

Supplies:
Mixed media- Christmas cards, vintage Ideals magazine,  
magazine cutouts, gel pens, colored pencils,
washi tape, watercolors, and Gelatos.

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Worship into the Week- Newness of Life

Worship into the Week-

Romans  6:1-14

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Oh, What a gift we have in this gift of baptism.

We walk in the newness of life.

Christ's death and resurrection brings us great riches.

We are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

I have been restored.

Supplies:

Visual Faith Ministry Printable

childrens-bulletin-romans-61-11-11021

Magazine Cutouts, Colored Pencils

Sharpie non-bleed Gel pen


Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Light in the Darkness- Noel


Light in the Darkness Hymn Journal-
#5 Noel
Mixed media 
Our Savior Has Come


The Noel card in my stash had a wonderful drawing
 on the back from the sender's children.
Noel- a bit of the history of the word.


May God's peace fall on all the pieces
 and people of my life.
Noel Noel Noel
Some study time- when angels speak the words 
Fear Not into the lives of ordinary people.
I need these words myself these days.
Wrapping up Fear- 
watercolors and
acrylic paint

Hymn written by Brooke Orozco.

Monday, January 11, 2021

Light in the Darkness- To Us


Still working in my ADVENT journal
 from Next step Press-
 Light in the Darkness.
Song #1- For Us.
Using vintage paper from
 1950's Ideals magazines.
I do the mixed media pages first and then 
draw the color for coloring from those pages.
Some Distress ink and collected Christmas stamps.
I used a Christmas card to cover
 the words for this page to add an image.

Another card and Distress ink
 with circle embellishments.

This song is an original by 
Brooke Orozco and Brendan Knorp.
Visual Faith™Ministry  artists 
did the artwork for this book
 for Next Step Press and Justin Rossow.
Available on Amazon. 
The plan was to do 1/2 of the book 
this past Advent and then the other half in 2021.
 I am still catching up-
 the Light in the Darkness
 is still a very good thing in January.