Griffin is 10!
What a very special birthday for this young man.
Cousin fun to make it a celebration day.
You lead the way- Griffin- for all of the troops.
May you be a very blessed leader!
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024
Worship into the Week- No Other Name
Worship into the Week-
Acts 4:1-12
Peter and John Before the Council
"And there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved."
So many voices speaking against and with hatred.
So many accusatory voices and eyes that wanted harm.
So many heard and believed- about five thousand.
And Peter filled with the Holy Spirit spoke to them.
The stone that the builders rejected
had become the cornerstone.
This Jesus that was crucified,
whom God raised form the dead,
brings salvation to all.
There is no other name above Jesus.
Supplies:
Visual Faith Ministry Graphics
Visual Church Year Printable
worship-into-the-week-april-2024
Magazine Cut outs
Distress Ink
Colored Pencils
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Spring View
Just marking the journey of spring time
in our yard in Virginia.
Vibrant colors and mixups of
amazing jewels in God's creation.
Spring is the march of new life in the world.
What a beautiful story of God's creation.
Praise and thanksgiving to our God for
giving us such a blessing for our time here on earth.
Until we gain the gift of heavenly joy
with beauty beyond description, we are assured of
His touch in this temporal world.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Worship into the Week- By Faith
Worship into the Week
Peter Speaks in Solomon's Portico
Acts 3: 11-21
Utterly astounded.
The people couldn't believe
the healing of the lame beggar.
Peter grabbed this opportunity to speak to the people
that the power to do this healing was by the name of Jesus.
Solomon's porch, so called from a tradition that it was a relic
of Solomon's temple left standing after the destruction of Jerusalem
by the Babylonians. (1 Kings 7:6.)
The word "porch" is in the New Testament
the rendering of the Greek word: por'-ti-ko- Stoa,
meaning a portico or veranda.
When we visit the Temple Mount on our trips to Israel,
we can be close to this area.
This lame beggar was someone they had known for a long time.
Now he stood before them healed.
They were witnesses to this miracle.
Just like the disciples were witnesses of the alive again Jesus.
Peter asks them to repent and turn back
that their sins would be blotted out.
This would bring a time of refreshment
from the presence of the Lord.
What have I forgotten that I have been
eye witness to in my life?
Time to take a bit of inventory
about what I have seen and heard.
Supplies:
Visual Church Year Printable
Worship into the Week Printable
Magazine Cutouts
Distress Ink
Colored Pencils
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Resurrection Tulips
About 2 months ago I found a large container
of dirt in the carport storage room.
At first I didn't know what it was from,
and then I remembered a beautiful tulip gift last spring.
Unfortunately, I also remembered that I was going
to plant the bulbs last fall.
That didn't happen.
So I know that bulbs need a time of cold storage
or cold in the ground to bloom.
So, I decided to do the experiment of pulling
them out and setting them in the sun
and began to water them.
Nothing for a couple of weeks.
Then I begin to see green sprouts emerging.
I kept watering the container and large buds appeared.
We were gone the first part of this week for a conference
and came back to these gorgeous large blooms.
What had seemed dead was certainly alive now.
Such an appropriate story for this Easter season.
I had almost thrown the container out
since it looked like there was no life.
What a wonderful reminder of what our own life
looks like when we are separated
from the life of the Son
and being feed by Living Water.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Worship into the Week- Great Grace
Worship into the Week
Acts 4: 32-35
Great Grace
What a wonderful term- great grace.
Great in abundance.
Great because it is good.
Great in the generosity.
Given to all.
They had everything in common.
There was not a needy person among them.
One heart and soul.
With great power they gave their testimony
of the Resurrection.
What an amazing time in the world.
Yet, we have that very same Resurrection story.
We too, can share those very same
life changing words.
We too, have been given that very same
power in our baptism.
Let us Pray for Boldness to Tell the Story of a
Risen Savior.
Supplies:
Visual Faith Printable
Worship into the Week Printable
Distress Ink
Magazine Cutouts
Colored Pencils
Postage Stamp
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Easter Roundup 2024
He is Risen! He is risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Eastertide Greetings to you!
The Grandloves in a rare photo.
It took no adults to get them to be together
(and still) for a photo.
Think this is a first.
This was a split second later.
This is real life right here.
Only little Lainey stays her sweet self yet.
Some sweet family photos.
We watched the celebration from Virginia this year
as Papa was healing from a hip replacement.
Gigi sent an Easter Story Bingo game.
It worked perfectly to play while
daddy Easter Bunny hid eggs outside.
Easter baskets- what fun!
And even Peeps!
Holy Week fun included dying Easter eggs.
They are big enough now to have their
own ideas about decorating!
And plenty of drama to go with the fun.
A fun part of the week together in Michigan
included going to a U of Michigan baseball game
to see Uncle Dan with the team.
Plenty of game time in the week
and learning new things.
What a blessing to celebrate together
and know the reason for our hope.
The Resurrection of Jesus changes everything.
We view the whole world through
that Easter window view.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Prayer of Lament
A Prayer of Lament
We have been experimenting with prayers of lament
in our Visual Faith Community.
Here is the final prayer on a 4 b y 6 blank index card.
After about 3 minutes we then turn the page
and begin writing over the prayer.
Three more minutes and then turn the card again.
Then more writing for three minutes.
It is pretty illegible.
( these were made with punches and Sizzix die cuts)
Purchased die cuts could be used,
or images from greeting cards.
The writing could also be covered with a colored marker.
Cutting images from junk mail can work also.
They were added with glue stick adhesive.
The prayer was then "redeemed"
and finished with words of hope, praise or comfort
from the book of Psalms.
This has been a meaningful way to sit
in a lament posture with the Lord.
(there are 50 Lament Psalms so he knows about these)
Keeping it on an "O" ring with
other Visual Prayer resources.
I have blank index cards ready to go
for another time of Lament with the Lord.
He hears our prayers.
I am so very thankful.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Calendar Journaling- March 2024
Calendar Devotional Journaling March 2024
using the Common Book from Visual Faith Ministry.
4 colored pencils.
Devotional is New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp.
Started a Word Log for the month of words
that are part of
my meditation time.
A few are:
Confidently
Everlasting
Dwell
Steadfast
Ultimate
Glorious.
Always interesting to look how God
is fitting this in with the other things
He is up to in a month's time.
He is not hurried.
Monday, April 1, 2024
Lenten Pathway Journey 2024
I have been doing a calendar journal
for Lent since 2011.
I am pretty sure I had not planned on
this being a lasting practice.
Most of my Visual Faith Journey has been a surprise.
My track record of "keeping up" or "staying with"
things was not too good in the past.
Until- I found something or a process that worked for ME.
That has made all the difference.
I downloaded the readings and the calendar from
Visual Faith Ministry. Here:
I added it right into my Common Book-
so that it was in the spot that made sense for me.
Same principle of 4 colored pencils
and a devotional reading.
Then a word or a phrase take away added to the calendar.
That became the story of Lent 2024.
Totally doable, grace-filled and reliable as a practice.
Giving thanks for this tool and resource for the journey.
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