A heart of Gratitude-2

 

For a heart that has been blessed 

beyond imagination 

for the simple things and the intricate things-

 I give thanks.

 

For a God that delights 

in pure joy and pure beauty-

 I give thanks.

For a God that showed grace to redeem ME-

by sending a Son who died and Rose AGAIN-

I give thanks.

For HE IS RISEN.

A Heart of Gratitude-1

For the times in life 

when my desire aligns

 with God's heart 

and I have a glimpse

 of the world with His eyes-

 I give thanks.

For the unexpected opportunities

when I am moved to give

 more than I would have thought-

 I give thanks. 

For the song in my soul

when I see how

God's grace

allows me to

be restored

 day after day-

I give thanks.

Bible Marginalia- Choose This Day

Bible Marginalia- #35

Joshua speaks a word 

 of warning to the people of Israel.

They must make some challenging choices.

The culture will call to them

 and slyly capture them.

They will be caught without knowing it.

They must fear the Lord.

Serve Him in sincere faithfulness.

They must choose whom they will serve.

Joshua declares that he 

and his house will serve the Lord.

Somehow this admonition is

 TIMELESS.

It is a call to heed today.

It is an active choice -
 TO FOLLOW,

rather than be swept away.

So much to be thankful for--

our patient God-

 who continues to call to all of us.

Supplies:
Colored Pencil 
Black Sharpie- non-bleeding

Bible Marginalia-As the Lord Said

Bible Marginalia- #34

The Story of the Battle of Jericho.

Joshua 6.

Been muddling this over for days now.

And finally for me-

 the synopsis is:

AND JOSHUA  DID

EXACTLY

AS THE 

LORD SAID.

Supplies:

Paint swatch from Lowes.

(Project Leftover)

Gold Metallic Sharpie

Printable

Stamped cross

Bible Marginalia-Obey, Remember, Tell the Story

 Bible Marginalia #33

Somehow after reading Joshua, 

I have not ended up doing the journaling 

in chronological order.

The Spirit calls in His order.

Joshua 2

Mulling over the story of 

Rahab and the Spies.

A woman who was SEEKING the heart of God.

Hearing the stories of this GOD OF WONDER.

Who had REVEALED His desire for the 

inhabitants of the land.

Who BLESSED the people

 who followed after His leading.

 Chapter 3 and 4

Israel Crosses the Jordan
The 12 Memorial Stones

The people OBEY the God of Israel.

The Lord will be with Joshua

 as He was with Moses.

It is important for you to
 REMEMBER this story.

Do this as a helpful sight to
 enhance your storytelling-

that there may be a sign among you.

So that when your children ask-

You can TELL THE STORY.

 This is what the two page lay-out looks like.

Simple, and a few words 
condense the take-away for ME.
Materials:

Square punch
Circle punch
Printables
Fine-point Sharpie marker
Colored pencils

Bible Marginalia-Not ONE Word

 

 Bible Marginalia Series- #32

Still reading Joshua.

Seeing the hand of faithfulness.

Because of who God is...

His character is shown.

He makes a promise-

He is held to fulfill it-

because He cannot lie.

Not ONE WORD 

had failed to come to pass.

Helps me to stand and hold on-

to His promises in my own life.

When I fail-

over and over -

to keep my promises.
Simply because I have a God
who fills in the margins, 
erases the debts,
and hands out 
limitless grace.

Materials used:
Colored pencils
Sharpie fine-point non-bleeding
Tim Holtz Ideaology-chit-chat 
(the little word stickers)

Advent- Awaiting the Wonder- Part Three

 

Awaiting the Wonder-

 OR 

Dreading the Season?

In years of ministry with women, 

one of the things that I have often heard

 is how the season of Advent-

 of Christmas preparations has got out of hand, 

and often misses the mark for the 

REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON.

Even conversations with young families

 show how quickly the culture

 we live in seeps into

 the lives of Christian families.

 Years of listening

 and learning from women

 has allowed me to develop

 a list for some thoughtful planning

 for personal and family Advent

 preparations for Christmas.

1.   Have a family meeting in October  - or NOW- 

to specifically talk about the HOW of Christmas this year.

2.   Have each person write down 3 things 

that are their personal favorite things of Christmas. 

 (this "makes" Christmas for them)

3.   See how many are the same-- where the overlap is.

4.   Vote on the the top 5 for THIS YEAR-- 

favorites can be rotated at other Christmas celebrations.

5.   Have a honest look at your budget

 and see where you need to make changes-   

     and how you might as a family

 make choices to bless "others"

 in the margin of our lives and around the world...

     Heifer International, Lutheran World Relief

6.   Speak specifically about tasks and the workload

 and talk

 about how to make relationships the priority.

7.   Does our family Christmas celebration 

spotlight Jesus in the manger, in our lives?  What needs to go?

     What do we need to keep?

8.   Women often put the "perfect" and ideal celebration

 on the list themselves.....

 how can we see where we add to the "pressure"

       and lists ourselves.

9.    In our family celebration of Christmas

 is it clear for our non-Christian

 friends to see the difference?

10. In the ideal of our family traditions- 

what would we like to see our children carry on

 as part of their own celebrations?

      Have we communicated that with them?

11.  Seasons of life establish "new traditions"- 

plan to evaluate and make changes every 5 years

 as a family grows and needs shift.

12.  As a group of women,

 what can we do to help daughters have a "healthy" focus 

and workload for the Christmas season?

These thoughts might be the beginning

 of a reevaluation-

  just what you are:

 doing,

celebrating,

witnessing to others, 

living, 

believing and

hoping 

for Advent this year.

It is never too late to make changes,

 improve,

and recenter your Christmas plan

for celebrating the birth

 of the Christ Child.

Advent- Awaiting the Wonder- Part Two

This Advent event 

was planned as a catered event.

Hannah's Fine Foods

Melissa Williams

Table hostesses volunteered 

and brought a nativity set

 to decorate the center of round tables.

All the tables were different.

Some were set beautifully with paper plates, 

others with china.

Some tables had a "gathering" of

creches or nativity sets.

A double buffet line

 served the dinner quickly.

A time to invite neighbors,

 friends, and co-workers.

This event included an open invitation

 to a neighboring church-Prince of Peace.

A wonderful gathering of faith sisters.

Copies of Sybil MacBeth's book
 were available for purchase.

Here is a bit about this book:
"Advent and Epiphany are the often-neglected parentheses around Christmas.
 Sybil MacBeth wants to change that. 
The Season of the Nativity – Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany –
 deserves more attention and better publicity. 
As the opening three acts for the liturgical year, 
it sets the stage for our yearlong journey
 through Scripture and salvation history.
 This book combines memoir, front-porch theology,
 and pages of spiritual practices and activities
 to invite individuals and families into a deeper relationship
 with a time of year you may have never discovered before. 
It gives simple tools and exercises for word-weary, 
distracted, and busy people –
 perhaps to experience a serious
 and playful nativity season for the first time."

Most of all-
Time set aside to think
 about preparing hearts for Advent.
The Christ Child gift to all.

Advent- Awaiting the Wonder- Part One

JOY TO THE WORLD. 

 Advent- preparing and waiting.

Gathering at Messiah Methodist in

Springfield, VA.

To encourage a time

 of waiting and wonder for families.

To share ideas for hands-on

 activities for children.

Age appropriate nativities

 to tell the story

 of getting ready for a Birthday.

Books to read with children for ADVENT.

Activities to do with children for ADVENT.

Advent calendars- coloring in one day at a time. 

Perhaps using one word from devotion time

 that depicts your own

Advent Journey.

Praying in Color tools from 

Sybil MacBeth.

How to count the weeks of Advent- 

with the things you have around the house.

Lighting a new candle each week-

counting down the days of Advent.

Preparing Advent hearts-

some devotional ideas.

Resources for creating your own Jesse tree-

 to talk about the Old Testament promise

 and the New Testament fulfillment.

Handmade ornaments-

printables to use for a Jesse tree.

Making an Advent journal-

collecting resources to help

 teach the "next generation". 

Creating a "Jesus" tree filled with symbols of 

this Christ Child gift, and nativity ornaments.

Helping to point to the reason for the season.

The heart renovation-

 that is the Spirit work of 

Advent.

Advent Resources

Bible Marginalia- A Day Like No Other

#31 in the Bible Marginalia Series

Hanging out in the book of Joshua

After our visit to Israel this past January- 

I have new eyes for reading these stories.

And thinking about the destruction

 that the Lord demanded of  

Joshua and his followers, 

as they took the land of Canaan.

This part of the story comes in with the Lord

 throwing down large stones

 from heaven at Gibeon.

Standing there in the land of Canaan.

And reading this story about Joshua-

 in this very personal relationship

with the Lord.

About asking Him to make the sun

 and the moon to stand still

 to help them in their battle.

AND... "The sun stopped in the midst of heaven

 and did not hurry to see for about a whole day. 

There has been no day like it before or since, 

when the Lord heeded the voice of a man,

 for the Lord fought for Israel." v. 12-14

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS-

a good thing to have the LORD-

on MY side of the Battle.

Colored pencils

Fine-point Sharpie marker- non-bleeding

Bible Marginalia- Be Strong and Courageous

#30 in the Bible Marginalia Series

Joshua 1:9

Sermon notes- 

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 

Midlothian, VA

10-26-14

When God says VERY- pay attention.

When He says- YOU- Listen up.

A change of command.

Moses is no longer here.

Joshua is the one God choses to lead.

Over and over again-

 Be Strong and Courageous.

DO NOT be dismayed.

I am WITH YOU. 

WHEREVER you GO.

GOD also commands that His leaders -

MEDITATE ON GOD'S WORD 

and

BE CAREFUL TO OBEY.

Love how this part is the PEP Talk 

to the battle of Jericho.

and the saving of RAHAB-

 the lineage of David 

and Jesus Christ.

Colored Pencil

Fine-point sharpie Marker- non-Bleeding

Bible Marginalia- Our Heavenly Dwelling

#29 in the Bible Marginalia Series

Do not lose heart.

This body is going away.

But our inner self is being renewed each day.

Affliction now is preparing us for glory.

We look not to the things that are seen-

but to those things not seen.

The things we can see are transient,

the things we cannot see are eternal.

This tent of a body is being destroyed.

But, we have a house not made with hands-

 ETERNAL-

waiting for us in heaven.

But, we are of good courage.

This body is our home now,

but soon we will be with the Lord.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

 2 Corinthians 4:16- 5:7

Graph paper used with watercolor

Printable

 Colored pencils

Fine point Sharpie- non-bleeding

Lots on this page- 

think there will be some more favorite verses.

Favorite Apps- vrsly

The iPhone App-VRSLY 

delivers new inspiration
 to your device every single day.

Save it, share it or create your own. 

Inspire others by publishing the finished product 

to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

VRSLY also gives you the ability to create

 your own inspiration with packs of VRSLY's artwork, 

frames, graphics and more.

Features:

• A daily VRSLY you can post "as is" 

or "use as an overlay" to create your own.

But, each one is only available THAT day.

 Artwork from walk in love

 and other artists

 are available to help you create

 your own VRSLY.

A simple statement on a photo

 can bring faith encouragement.

 Frames and graphics are available

 to help you create your own VRSLY.

It costs $.99 cents. 

Then there are all sorts of 

FREE things you can add.

Just a few added graphics for little heart.

Inspire others by publishing 
the finished product 

to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In a previous post, 
I wrote about 
Deploying Digital Missionaries.
eformation-Deploying Digital

This is one of the tools 
that allows you to take
 the photos of "your life"-
 add the FAITH LIFE LIVING,
and bless the world.