Have Faith | Bible Journaling

On June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 By Jules' JewelsIn New Kits, Uncategorized2 Comments

Check out the process video for this page over at my YouTube Channel or using the link at the bottom of this post.

2 Kings 4:1-7 tells about a widow in dire straits and desperate for God’s help. Her husband has died and left her family in debt over their heads, the creditors are threatening to take her sons as slaves if she doesn’t pay the money she owes, and all the capital she has left is one jar of oil. She needs help, and so she goes to the prophet Elisha. He tells her to go and borrow as many jars as she can from all of her friends and neighbors. “Not too few,” he says, having faith that God is going to make a BIG miracle for this woman. She does exactly what Elisha tells her to do, because she also has faith that God will provide. In fact, her faith is what took her to Elisha in the first place, and her faith is rewarded.

The widow and her sons go into her home with all the jars, shut the door, just as Elisha tells her to do, and sees God’s providence and goodness unfold. As she pours the oil from her jar into another jar, it keeps pouring. It doesn’t stop! She moves on to the next jar, and the next, and the next. The oil isn’t running out! When she has run out of jars, she tells her son to give her another one. He exclaims there are no more jars to be found. At that precise moment the oil runs out. She takes the oil and sells it. With the profits she has enough to pay all the creditors, and then plenty to live comfortably afterwards. God’s blessings do not stop until they are overflowing!

Despite this story being relatively short–only seven verses–it is powerful and profound! Faith is what gets us through the tough times. We may be having money troubles, relationship issues, health concerns, job insecurities, etc. But we can have faith in the same God who made the widow’s oil overflow. He will likewise provide for you! It will likely be in His own unique way, but He will make a way!

I chose to journal this story using the new Have Faith collection from Echo Park Paper Co. I cut out a jar with flowers from one of the 12×12 papers, used a few of the stickers, and made a bunting banner out of the “F-A-I-T-H” stickers. I chose the jar because of the connection to the story. I added a tag and a circle punch to the top of the page, both cut out from the papers. This was a super easy page, and I still have SO much of the collection left that I could use for other Bible journaling, cards, and/or scrapbooking projects.

How do God’s blessings overflow in your life? Remembering the past instances of His care and provisions can help us to have faith in the future during difficult times.

Supplies:

Screen Shot 2018-06-28 at 3.54.46 PM — 1-inch Circle Punch

Stand Tall and Stand Out

On June 21, 2018June 27, 2018 By Jules' JewelsIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

“Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

(Romans 12:2)

Paul tells the church in Rome to not conform to the world. Rome was the center of the Roman Empire, and at that time, a very pagan and secular place. What does it mean to “conform”? The definition of conform that applies here is to “be similar in form or type; to agree with.” Paul emphasized that the Christians in Rome should NOT be similar in type or form with the pagan, secular world. Rather, they should stand out and be dissimilar from the crowd and the rest of the world.

This timely message applies to us today too. God was speaking to us through Paul’s letter. Today, our culture is completely void of godliness and righteousness. Movies and shows, music, fashion, social media, etc. It all screams self-preservation and self-glorification, which is the opposite of God’s self-sacrificing love. Of course, there are some glimpses of goodness in this world, and we should cling to those things (Phil. 4:8).

God calls us to stand out and show others His beautiful character in this ugly world. We have to make choices that reflect what God would want for us, even when we feel like we are going against the crowd. We have to stand tall and stand out, even if this world doesn’t agree with our choices. Even when we feel like we are all alone. But we aren’t alone–He is standing there with us, to help us stand tall and stand out. Like a beautiful flamingo standing tall.

I used the new Be a Flamingo stamp set from Sweet ‘N Sassy Stamps, as well the Bitty Minnie Alpha set and the Beach Blessings Printable. You can see how I masked the leaves and flowers to create the tropical background. I tried out the Jane Davenport brights watercolor set to paint the images and loved the vibrancy.

How is God calling you to stand out? How has He helped you stand tall, even when you had to stand alone?

GOD WINS!

On June 19, 2018 By Jules' JewelsIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“And that spells trouble, with a capital T!” This line comes from The Music Man, one of my favorite musicals. The trouble it was speaking of was actually a pool hall opening in town. Oh, if only that were all the trouble we had to worry about. These days, there’s school shootings, suicides, road rage incidents, politics, international insecurity, financial worries, marital struggles, parental difficulties, etc., etc., etc. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He told the disciples that “…in this world you will have trouble.” There’s trouble everywhere!

I know I have troubles. In my home. At work. With my kids. With my marriage. With my health. Don’t get me wrong–I am so very blessed. But there are certainly trials and tribulations in all areas of my life. Satan knows just where to attack us. But Jesus promises here in this passage that He has overcome these troubles, and He guides and helps me to overcome them too. Actually, it’s simply a matter of letting Him doing the overcoming and me just trusting Him and allowing Him to work everything out. Simple, but not necessarily a simple task to do.

But, oh, if only those were all the troubles we had to worry about. It’s not the troubles in the world that are most troublesome, but the trouble the world is in. Did you get that? Let me say it again. The troubles IN the world don’t compare to the trouble the world is in. The world is in trouble because of the sin problem, because Adam and Eve sinned, which allowed Satan to gain control. We and all humanity were doomed to die for all eternity because God cannot be in the presence of sin. But take heart! Jesus, with His perfect life lived, and perfect death offered on the Cross, took back control of this world. He has overcome! Now, we are offered eternal life with God through faith.

For this faith art journaling page, I journaled in my 100 Days of Bible Promises Devotional by Dayspring. I used the June Faith Art Box by Creative Retreat Kits, and I used some Shimmerz products: Cotton Candy Spritz and Don’t Rain on My Parade Vibez. You can see the entire process video below or on my YouTube Channel.

How has God helped you to overcome troubles, both little and big problems, in your life?