faith – Jules' Jewels

Wait…wait…wait…. It seems I’m always waiting. In traffic. In the doctor’s office. In the checkout aisle. For my kids to come to dinner table. For my kids to do the task I asked them five times to do! For that package to come in the mail. I really don’t like waiting! But it’s a part of life, isn’t it?

The worst kind of waiting, however, is waiting on God. Waiting on God to reveal His plan. Or worse yet, the long lingering when you already think (operative word, here) you know what God should do, and you just have to wait for Him to work it all out. Sometimes I even try to maneuver things myself to get things underway, but that always ends up in a mess! Remember how Sarah and Abraham took matters into their own hands while waiting for the birth of the child of promise? That got ugly! (Gen. 16) Usually, however, when I think I have it all worked out, that’s when God throws a curve ball in my plans, and thinks end up so much better in the end. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways….” God’s way is wiser and more informed than my way. And I would do well to just let Him work out all the details. But how?

I spent some time in Bible study using “Go God’s Way,” a printable bundle and devotional available at Sweet’n Sassy Stamps, and designed and written by Diane Noble. My main take away–without revealing too much, because it’s a study worth getting on your own–is that the process involves 1) waiting, 2) worshiping, and 3) trusting. This study includes Bible verses on each of those three aspects, and whenever you seek the Word for advice, it’s powerful stuff!

I landed in Psalm 131:2. This passage talks about quieting ourselves like a weaned child. It reminded me of one of my children (to remain nameless), when he was newly weaned, who just wanted to rest against my bare chest, presumably to still feel the intimate closeness and touch, even without the nursing. Oh, if I could just rest in God’s intimacy and closeness while I waited for Him to move! Faith while I wait!

I NEEDED to creatively journal this worship experience, so I chose to I pulled out some mixed media products. I have a process video, so you can see how the whole page came together. Basically, I smooshed, sponged, stamped, colored, stickered, embellished, and then journaled to create this page. I have the products listed below. Currently, there are amazing sales going on at Dayspring (like BOGO), and through July 5th, you can take an extra 5% off of EVERYTHING at Scrapbook.com. Just use code JULYFIVE18.

Thanks for stopping by! What do you do to help pass the time while you wait?

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.20.12 PM — Go God’s Way Printable Bundle and Devotional

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 8.29.11 PM — “Life in Jesus” Stamp Set

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.26.29 PM — Dylusions Kit

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.29.57 PM — Faded Jeans Distress Oxide Ink

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.29.42 PM — Peeled Paint Distress Oxide Ink

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.30.22 PM — Blending Tool

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.27.22 PM — Tool Kit

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.29.16 PM — Olive You Alphabet Stickers

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.28.44 PM — 456 Count – Word Cardstock Stickers

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.31.20 PM — Rubber Brayer

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.30.56 PM — Distress Sprayer Bottle

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.31.43 PM — Versafine Onyx Black Ink Pad

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.32.08 PM — Clear Acrylic Blocks

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.32.29 PM — Heat tool

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.33.23 PM — Water Brushes

Screen Shot 2018-06-28 at 2.51.16 PM — Permanent Adhesive

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 2.12.12 PM — Fine Point Slick Writer

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 1.35.19 PM — Clear Sticker Sheets

Screen Shot 2018-07-02 at 2.57.21 PM — Stamp Shammy Cleaner

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.