I had a sweet follower on Instagram, ask if I had the following graphic in pdf form to print.
This is for you Gail!😘
Click on the image below, then click on the title that pops up:)
Xo,
Answering a Request!
Faith Art
Checking in with a few Doodles:)
Hello!
Hope you are well! Those of you who follow my blog, know that I have stepped away a bit to dig into what God has placed before me…His people.
I continue to study and Doodle, and work through the Bible in a Year. (See previous post here.)
Today I am posting a few Doodle 101’s from more recent days! (They reflect what I’m studying right now! “Finding I Am” by Lysa TerKeurst)
Much love to you,
Share this:
Get Out Of Your Camp
Good day!
I am enjoying my last few days in CO, a place where I always feel closer to God. The beauty of His Glory is undeniable, and causes me to pause with such gratitude!
Below are a few photos from our Monarch Lake Hike:)
My husband & I are spending more and more time here, and we were finally able to visit a local church here in town.
It was a Spirit filled service grounded in sound Biblical teaching. It was so refreshing to study scripture together as a congregation…verse by verse. Above all else, we are to look to God’s Word for life. Pastor Doug Toller, Senior Pastor at Winter Park Christian Church has been leading this flock for 30 years. Like my church back home, the Holy Spirit was welcomed and present ❤
Pastor Toller finished up a series he has been teaching on Leadership. As we studied Acts, Numbers 11, Titus, 1 & 1 Peter we learned that Leadership (overseers of God’s church) have a supernatural responsibility to their church. Elders are to be Spiritually mature men who are trustworthy & respected by others. They are to be chosen through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and are to lead through His power. There are Holy qualifications to be met by the Elders, only possible through the supernatural help of the Spirit. They are to hold firm to the Word above all else, standing on the WHOLE council of God.
He concluded his message in Hebrews.
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” -Hebrews 13: 11-14
To Lead like Jesus. This is direction for us all. We are to serve, often suffering, as Jesus served. We are to get out of our “comfortable” CAMP, to reach those outside the gate. Our Savior, set aside His deity, stepping outside His “camp” to lay down His life for us.
“Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
Like Jesus, we are called to a rescue mission…one that is uncomfortable and requires that we step outside the safety of the walls we build up for ourselves. Let us ask God for an increased desire to “share with others” the hope that is found beyond these earthly borders; that He would give us His heart & perspective to see the lost, willing to put others before ourselves.
This is pleasing to God.
What is outside “your camp?” How can we each answer this call? I don’t know about you, but I spend way more time inside the bubble of “the church” and personally needed to be reminded to DAILY ASK the Lord to send me to those who are in need and ready to hear the good news.
Thank you Pastor Toller and the body of Christ you serve here in Grand County. We felt welcomed, loved and accepted, and heard sound teaching from the Word of God ❤
CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE FOR THE PDF
Bless you!
Share this:
Ezekiel / Read the Bible in a Year with the READ SCRIPTURE APP
Hello!!
Writing to you from CO. In awe of my surroundings and the abundance of blessings the Lord provides!! I feel like I walk around repeating…wow! Wow…wow… GLORY all around!
That last little “bundle” is my brand new grandson…Charlie:) Poopah and Mimi have the other two so Mom & Dad can catch their breath!
Currently, we are in Ezekiel, as this journey continues with reading the Bible in a year.
Each Biblical Prophet had the same underlying message: return to God. The Israelites suffered from the same disease we see today…me, me, me. God who? It’s all about what I want, what I can get. I WILL find my own “happiness” 😫There is nothing good that comes from this…just a lack of “fruit.”
Like Israel, we choose to align our hearts with the world in self focus without giving the One who created us a thought. This is our natural response…we are rooted in pride.
-In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” Psalm 10:4
It is just too easy to get caught up in the me, me, me. To see beyond ourselves, we must be engaged with the Holy Spirit. Only He can give us a greater perspective! With my limited view, I will always be disappointed.
I want to look in the mirror and NOT see myself, but Christ in me. As I gaze at my own reflection, I am caught up in the not good enoughs & the need mores…instead of my true identity, which is whole and complete in Christ.
Oh, Lord, give me your eyes to see beyond myself and a heart to love You and others first.
CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE FOR THE PDF
Blessings to you,
Share this:
The Jesus Mission
Hello!
Yesterday, a Pastor at my church was scheduled to give a sermon, but could not speak due to illness. The decision was made to show a video of a previous guest Pastor’s sermon. Our sermon series this month is called PREACH IT, which is designed to rotate guest speakers while our lead Pastor takes a summer study break. <—great idea & need for all Pastors! ❤
The video shown was a 2016 message from Dan Southerland, Pastor at Westside Family Church in Kansas City.
“Dan is a Kingdom-minded, Kingdom-expanding pastor who has planted 19 churches in the Greater KC area and over 200 house churches overseas. He has a passion to continue mentoring and consulting with pastors and church planters. He has a colossal vision and has truly been willing to become all things to all men that he might by all some means save some. Everyone who sits down with Dan for any amount of time leaves impressed, encouraged, and emboldened with a fresh perspective of what they need to be doing in their own ministry setting.” -BRKC
It can sometimes feel a bit disappointing to watch a video or live feed, when you are expecting to see a Pastor preach “live.” Dan Southerland was NO disappointment!!!
His message was about the “JESUS MISSION” to SAVE ———-> the lost.
Dan declared that the church is to “plunder hell and populate Heaven” here on earth…that our primary purpose is to join Jesus in saving the lost. Anything else is self serving.
He encouraged us (as the Church) to do this in three ways.
MISSIONAL LIVING:
“Get up in the morning and report for duty!” Ask Jesus what He has planned for you today, and follow orders:) Dan shared that he prays this prayer in the shower every morning “Lord, here I am. I’m reporting for duty. Put someone in my path today that you have prepared to receive Jesus, so I can speak of Him!.” “I gotta find someone to snatch out of hell!” <———love that:)
MISSIONAL GIVING:
“If you give ALL of YOU, Jesus will give you ALL of Him.” “I will Be rich in my next generation.” Dan reminded us of the woman who offered her last 2 mites. She gave ALL she had and is rembered to this day for her sacrifice. God sees what man overlooks.
MISSIONAL REPRODUCING:
Jesus cursed the fig tree. (Matthew 21:18-19; 20-22 and Mark 11:12-14; 20-25.) Cursing the fig tree was Jesus’s way of saying that the whole nation had become spiritually barren before the Lord. They had the form of religion but not the reality. They knew the right words to say, but their hearts were far from God. They had no fruit. We are to produce fruit, this happens when we abide in Christ. (John 15:4 ) We are called to ——->
“go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20
Dan said there are “good churches, great churches, & GOD churches.
He said that our heart should beat for the lost…
”Jesus wants His kids to find their way home”(Dan Southerland) the church needs to want this too. We are the church ❤️
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW FOR THE PFD
I missed Dan the first time around…I’m so glad I was able to hear this great message!
Lord, draw us to yourself so that we might love with your heart, eager to report for duty…because someone’s life depends on it.
Bless you!
Share this:
Just a fruity Doodle
Ecclesiastes / Read the Bible in a Year with the READ SCRIPTURE APP
Good Day!
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!
For a few days, we are in the book of Ecclesiastes.
If you’ve just joined me, I am participating in my home Church’s journey to read the Bible in one year using the READ SCRIPTURE APP.
Below is the opening video for the book of Ecclesiastes.
THE PURPOSE: Is life really worth living? Can I possibly find peace and purpose in this life? The author of Ecclesiastes attempts to answer these questions by proving that satisfaction in life can only be found by looking beyond this world. Ecclesiastes gives an analysis of negative themes but it also develops the positive theme of overcoming the vanities (hevel / meaningless / fleeting nature)of life by fearing a God who is good, just, and sovereign (12:13-14).
THE THEME: The fear of God leads to a meaningful life.
(This summary structure was adapted and revised from Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boa, The Wilkinson & Boa Handbook @ bible.org)
All that we seek of the world will pass away like a vapor ———> “HEVEL, HEVEL, HEVEL”
But, our God is everlasting.
”Full of Splendor & Majesty is His work. His righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 111:3) His glory is seen everywhere!
Each day is a gift. Each gift has purpose. In our quest for meaning it is our human desire to be known by the world which leads us away from the gift of our God given purpose. It is knowing the Lord that fulfills our hearts and will keep us “occupied with joy!” I love that phrase!
“Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
It is right to enjoy what God has placed before us…each breath is a gift.
May we each be occupied with joy as we count each day as a blessing, whatever our lot, experiencing the presence of God in each moment as we seek Him with our whole heart. Lord help us…hear our prayer ❤
This clip from Bart Millard is so encouraging and inspiring. I had to share it with you today:)
Be encouraged!
God Bless you!
Share this:
Just a doodle:)
Speaking Truth in Love ❤️
Hello!
I want to share the process of speaking truth in love in a personal way with you today.
This is something I talk about often, especially with women in my close circles. As a wife and mother, I have learned this lesson MANY times over the years. The receiver will have closed ears if they hear even the hint of anything other than LOVE. (Anger, frustration, condemnation, etc.) Motivation to speak “truth” often comes from these places of frustration, anger, etc. and changing this natural human response could only happen once I acknowledged my own need for correction, and…that without the power of the Holy Spirit, I would not be able to deliver truth IN LOVE. (The message would always be slighlty tainted by “my flesh.”)
Correction is important to our growth, but until it is motivated by love and tempered with that love the recipient will not “hear” a “hard” truth. NONE of us like to hear or “see” our own faults and stumblings.
“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” -Hebrews 12:5,6
In order to speak truth and have it be heard, we must first develop trust within the relationship. It is only through time that we can develop a “track record” of loving responses that will enable the other person to see our true motivation is a matter of the heart.
I love the example Jason Weimer from CRU shares about this topic
What Makes Talking With You Taste Good?
Consider salt. Yes, salt.
In the ancient world salt did more than just make French fries tasty. Before refrigeration, salt preserved meat to keep it from spoiling. These dual purposes – flavoring and preserving – offer context to verses like Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Asking questions, listening, and seeking to understand is a great start to this. We can also encourage people with Scripture blended with snapshots of how we experience it personally.
We can give people a taste of Jesus.
My wife experienced this firsthand recently. We had just bought four chickens and put a coop in the back corner of our property. Our neighbor’s dog became obsessed with them, feverishly sniffing along the fence and refusing to do his other backyard business.
A few days later my neighbor saw my wife in our yard, stormed over, and confronted her.
“I’m not okay with the chickens,” he said.
My wife was taken aback, but she took a breath and whispered a prayer before responding.
“Can you tell me what’s bothering you?” she said. “Maybe we can work something out that would be good for both of us.”
His demeanor immediately changed, as he was expecting defensiveness. It was like my wife had disarmed a bomb, and through peaceful conversation they were able to agree to a solution.
This salt-seasoned interaction with my wife warmed him and our relationship has grown ever since.
So, back to the my personal story:)
Yesterday, I created a post and Doodle 101 regarding Wisdom. Below is the original image I created.
Later that day, a sweet online friend and Sister in Christ sent me a message that was salty, BUT tasted good:) In her message, she tempered truth with such love. She began by encouraging & supporting me, and in a gentle way, asked me about the modesty of the image of “wisdom” above.
She said…”Somehow wisdom with a hint of immodesty don’t seem to go together.”
In all honesty, I hadn’t given it a thought! Often, when I create a drawing tutorial, I consider what will be the most simple and direct way to the end goal. When I drew lady wisdom above, I wanted to draw a simple top, using minimal lines. I also wanted to convey a hint of grace and a posture of “knowing.” I instinctively drew what I would call a “ballet scoop neck” without even thinking about her slightly bare shoulders.
I have to agree with my friend, any form of immodesty and wisdom do not go together! Thank you Sister, for taking the time to not only encourage me, but to also speak truth in a loving way!
I especially liked something else she said that further “tempered” this truth she delivered…
“I totally mean it with gentleness and love, one sister speaking with her sister to maybe help her to see something that she may have missed. Kind of like I would say to a friend that may have some broccoli stuck in her teeth. :)”
What a beautiful example of speaking truth in love.
Here is my new drawing for Wisdom:)
AS ALWAYS, CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR THE PDF
IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE,
1Arthouse 