Read the Bible in a Year!

One of my goals for 2018 is to grow closer to God, to get stronger through his Word. To have a better understanding of his Word, to have a more intimate relationship with Him. Through Bible Journaling I am able to read the Word, meditate on it, and apply it to my life. 
But through this plan I found at Illustrated Faith, it's a tangible guide to help me read my bible more. By doing this I am hoping to read my Bible more, desire reading my Bible daily, and having a better understanding of God and His promises. I love that it's structured, and I always need structure!

I've am using my #4 Foxy Fix TN for my reading plan and printouts.

I found some lined notebooks at Dollar Tree and will use them as my inserts. I had to play with the print out a little bit to make it fit into my #4 Traveler's notebook. 

On this left is a Free Print out, it's a Daily Habit printable. 

On the right, is a Mini Devotional called "Your Ways: Your Path"

I have left a page blank to take notes and answer the "Journal Prompts" on the left. 

This is the print-out for January. I will be adding this one to my insert and get started on my journey.

And this is the Bible I will be using, it's an NIV Bible by Zondervan. I bought this as a gift to myself for Christmas at Christian Books.com. 

So now I'm all set, come January 1st, I plan on beginning my journey of reading by Bible in one year! I pray God helps me and guides me along the way!

Have a blessed Friday!

What's your word for 2018?

Happy Friday afternoon! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Our family had a very splendid Christmas as well.
As we wind down the year and get ready for 2018, we think about new goals, resolutions, etc.

The common resolutions are things like:  eat healthier, exercise, read more, work harder, etc....
I've read about having ONE WORD for the new year. I thought about my ONE WORD, I couldn't come up with just one, but I do love this phrase:

"PRAY MORE, WORRY LESS".

So I decided this is my phrase for 2018.  I saw this on a board on Pinterest and saved it, my daughter made this sign for me for Christmas and I absolutely love it!
It's so special because even though she's got a busy schedule due to Nursing School, she took the time to paint the wood and hand letter each word. 

Anyone that really knows me, knows I'm a worry wart, I stress very easily, about EVERYTHING!! Now that I have this, I will hang it up and have it as a daily reminder not to Worry, but to PRAY about it!

I also added this entry to my mini Bible Journaling Traveler's Notebook. I love carrying these around and looking at them when I"m in need of comfort and encouragement. 

Details: Washi Tape: Hobby Lobby, Die-cut: Peachy Cheap Deals, "He will be our Peace" rubberstamp: American Crafts (Peachy Cheap Deals), Alpha letters and Tim Holtz words: Joann Fabrics, Happy Note die cut card: We R Memory Keepers, Pom-Pom trim: Walmart

Have a blessed Friday!

Luke 15:10 "There is rejoicing"

After spending almost a week reflecting and praying about all the bad things happening in our world, one incident in particular : the tragic shooting at the 1st Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, 
I came upon this free printable. It was featured as a Facebook freebie from BIBLE JOURNALING MINISTRIES

I looked up the verse printed on it:

LUKE 15:10

 "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

As I read this verse, I could only take comfort in the thought, that God willing, through this tragedy and other hardships people are experiencing....there are also others that are repenting and being saved. 
So in other words, through the loss of those precious lives, others are being "saved." Angels are blowing their trumphets and rejoicing at those that are turning from their ways, giving their hearts to God and choosing to confess that the Lord is their savior!

I ended up printing my image onto Vellum and painting with some pretty opalescent watercolors. To give the wings some shimmer, I outlined them with a Sakura "glitter" gelly roll pen. 

I added some Gold washi from Target along the edge and finished it off with some beautiful rhinestones from Recollections. Journaling Bible is by Crossway.

The page charm was an old earring that had lost it's pair, I ran it through a gold paperclip. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

I pray that everyone has somewhere to gather or visit!

May God bless you on this day and always!

"Be strong and let your Heart take Courage"

I will be the first one to say, 
"Thank God it's Friday!" 

What a week this has been, so full of different emotions. At times, my day was so busy that I would push my thoughts and emotions to the back of my head. Then at night, I'd lay there....talking to my God. Tears flowing down my face, all we can do is keep going, keep the faith.
I kept thinking of how times used to be, I spoke with a friend and told her times have changed so much, and it will continue. It's a sign of the times, it's in God's Word, he warned us all of this to come. 
Honestly, my anxiety levels were way up this past week, I kept thinking of things I fear now that I never did before. So I searched for a verse to meditate on and  this one came up. 

Psalm 27:14

"Wait for the Lord, Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes,wait for the Lord."

Have a blessed Friday.

Thank you for stopping in. 

Bible Journaling: "I Can Do all Things..."

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

- author unknown

As I look back at this week, and think of things that have happened, feelings I have felt, I think to myself...."only by the Grace of God do we get through these things." 

We have all been there....hurt by someone we love, let down by someone we depended on, saddened by an event in life, worried about things to come,etc, etc.
But the one thing we can count on is the promise of God's word. 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me."

Philippians 4:13 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Be blessed.

Bible Journaling: "He is my Refuge and My Fortress"...

When a world seems to have gone crazy, when unbelievable things happen, what should we do?
I often ask myself this, and then remind myself to turn to God's word. 

This past Sunday, the most unimaginable thing happened. 26 people were killed while in church, praising and worshiping God. Small town, everyone knew everyone, it was supposed to be a safe place. 
One young man, who was filled with evil, took the lives of so many innocent children, parents, and grandparents. 
I have been so saddened by this, and have asked God "Why??" 
All I could do was read this verse over and over, and remind myself to trust God. 

Psalm 91:2 says:

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

I'm speechless by this act. Still in shock and disbelief. I know I can never feel what they are going through, or know what they are facing. But I'm praying for them. 

Bible Journaling: "And the Two Shall Become One"

One year ago today, I had the honor of watching my eldest son marry his bestfriend. Even more special is my husband, officiated the wedding. It was a beautiful day even though storms were in the forecast. Thank God it did not rain until later in the night. The wedding was beyond beautiful and all the work we had put into it was so worth it. My daughter in law, Amber, did a wonderful job preparing for this special day. They are a wonderful couple and I wish them many more years together. 

Watching these two unite as one was an indescribable joy, I was one proud Mom and thankful to God for this day.

 In honor of their 1st Anniversary today, I prayed for them this morning and worked on a bible page made especially for them.

In Genesis 2:24 its says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Bible: ESV Journaling Bible by Crossway, Photo was printed on vellum, floral/pearl paperclip was handmade using a button, fabric flower and gold paperclip. Gold placemat underneath the bible was part of their table centerpieces at the wedding. 

Happy 1st Anniversary Caleb and Amber!

May God always be the center of your marriage and may your love for one another grow deeper and stronger with each passing year. 

Oh Happy Day!!!

Oh Happy Day! I have really enjoyed creating these little bits of art and finding that there is always a verse in my Bible to pertain to real life. Only because HE is real in my life!!!!

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other. Just as God in Christ also has forgiven you!

Continue to pray for all of those affected by Hurricane Harvey. I thank God we only had wind and rain. May everyone remain safe and recover from this hurricane.

Be blessed!!!

Bible Journaling in my Tiny Notebook

Good Sunday evening to you....I have really enjoyed journaling in this #2 Wide Foxy Fix notebook. I thought this was a Licorice..but now I'm not sure. The leather is so soft and flexible. I am really loving it for my MINI Bible Journaling, Junk Journaling, and writing in my little Prayer Notebooks. 

Creating with my hands is what I do! I find it such a wonderful stress reliever. 

I have always loved this verse in 
1st Thessalonians 4:11
"Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you." 

I have all these paint chips laying around, at one time we were trying to decide on colors for my craft room and for the church. I wanted to put them to good use. So I've really enjoyed creating these little bits of art. 
The only downside to this, I don't like my handwriting!!!! Yikes!!! LOL Something I will have to practice on for sure!!! 

This past weekend, our Texas coast was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, I continue to pray for God to put His mighty hands on all of those in need! 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed week!

I am Mother, Mom and Mama Bear....

Good morning!!! Feels so wonderful to be off today! I definitely needed this day! I slept in which felt awesome! I hope your day is going just as well!

Do your kids have nicknames for you?? My eldest, calls me "Mother", my middle child calls me "Mom or Maaaa" and my youngest, has always called me "Mama Bear". But no matter what they call me, my purpose in their life is the same: to love, protect, nuture, guide, and pray for daily. Motherhood is a  gift from God I have always been grateful for. My kids have always been my life. They are all grown up and  on their own now, but I will forever be their Mother, Mom and Mama Bear!!!

I was praying for them the other night, and found this verse in 
Genesis 28:15:

"Behold I am with YOU and I will keep you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised YOU!"

I know this is God speaking to us. He never leaves us and one day we will return to Him. But it's not until our journey here on Earth is through. Until He calls us home to be with him.

I don't know how long I will be in this world, but I do know, that until I'm gone..I will love my God and I will be a Mom to my 3 wonderful kids ( young adults). They don't like when I call them kids! LOL!

                                    
    Details:  Bible Journaling in my #2 Foxy Fix, Stamped Image: Hampton Art, Washi Tape: Illustrated Faith (gift from my sweet friend Terry!), Mug Rug (handmade by a sweet pal: Kelly), DieCut Arrows: Illustrated Faith, Handmade ribbon paperclip, Metal flakes for confetti: leftovers from my Son's job. Padre Island coffee mug: a gift from our Church friends: Carlos and Rosa. 

Have a Blessed Day!

"Micro" Bible Journaling

Happy Friday to you!!! Hope you had a great week!
I don't think there is such a thing as "Micro Bible Journaling", I just made it up at this instant! But I do want to share this with you.........

 I wish I could say I came up with this idea..but I didn't! I was inspired by Tai Bender of Growing Meadows.  You really should Google her work, you will fall in love too!!!!

She does the cutest bible journaling in a little book of Psalms. She also uses a little traveler's notebook, but I don't know the details of it. When I saw it, I thought..."I love that!! It's a great way to carry God's encouraging words with me daily!!!"

#0 Foxy Fix Sugar Cupcake

 I didn't have a little book of Psalms, but I did have my Micro Foxy Fix, and found that it worked perfectly! I bought some water color paper, cut it down to size and made a booklet with it. I bought water color paints on Amazon, and pulled out my rubberstamps!

      I have really been enjoying this process, because I love creating, and reading God's word brings me comfort. Now when I'm feeling stressed, anxious, sad, angry, happy, etc....I can pull my Micro out of my purse, and be reminded of God's promises. 

Feather stickers, pink tassel, gold Washi Tape and binder clip are all from

Target's Dollar Spot.  Organza paper clip is handmade. 

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a blessed weekend!

Bible Journaling: Proverbs 3:13

Good evening to you! I hope your week is going well. I'm popping in this evening to show you a Bible Journaling page that I worked on this past Sunday. 

I'm using
 PROVERBS 3:13

"Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,"

Godly Wisdom is the ability to discern between right and wrong, God gives us the ability to seek wisdom by reading His word.

 In James 1:5 it says, "Ask for Wisdom and it will surely be given to you." By seeking God's wisdom, through His word, we gain an understanding. By meditating on His word and practicing it in our lives we gain wisdom from the Lord and this helps us understand the circumstances in life we may encounter. We may not always understand WHY, but we do understand that His WILL works in our favor. 

I absolutely LOVE woodland critters, especially Owls and Foxes!! My niece had a baby shower this past November and she found these super cute invitations and paper napkins at Hobby Lobby. 

I thought they were so adorable and knew I wanted to use them in a crafty project. 

I saw a YouTube video by Growing Meadows and Tai Bender used clear Gesso to mod podge a napkin to her bible page. After seeing this video, I couldn't wait to try the technique using these napkins. I haven't been able to purchase clear Gesso, so I used Clear ModPodge. The cute green Pom-Pom paperclip is from PEACHY CHEAP DEALS.

 Every day is a new deal, so if you see something you like, grab it right away!!!!

I also used various stickers that I had in my stash. 

I use an ESV Journaling Bible by Crossway. 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed week!

I'm a Blessed Mama Bear

Happy Friday!!! 

I'm so happy it's Friday, I am off and have lots to do today! But first I wanted to share with you how I have been keeping so busy!!!

A couple of months ago, I moved my booth into a local shop. I"m calling it Blessed Mama Bear. 

We live in a small town, not many places to shop, so this boutique is a wonderful place!!! She calls it OLIVE. 

I've always loved crafting and have a room full of crafting stuff!! I thought, "what better way to enjoy crafting and clear out my crafting room?!" (I'm not sure that will ever happen, but hey, I'm trying!) LOL!!

I found this desk at a near by thrift store for $40! I painted it and distressed it. The back wall belongs to the shop, she painted wood pallets with a dark brown paint. My daughter helped me add little white LED lights behind the pallet wall. My Mom contributed the ladder. I think it used to go to bunk beds, but it's painted cream and looks so cute! 

All of my display pieces have come from a thrift store or Goodwill. 

I've got a little bit of this and that. I guess that's what makes it fun when it comes to crafting. 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed weekend!!

Bible Journaling in "The Traveling Bible"

Hey there!! I know...it's been over a month since my last entry!! But I've been a busy girl! 

I wanted to share a really neat idea with you....

I joined a group on Facebook called The Traveling Bible and found it's a really neat idea in relation to Bible Journaling. 

There are a few Bibles circulating the US and each recipient decorates a bible page, signs it, and sends it on to the next person. 

Here is my entry: 

Psalm 91:4

"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection"

I tried a new technique that I believe Tai Bender of  Growing Meadows shared. It was using a printed paper napkin on your bible page. The directions stated to use Clear Gesso, but I live out in the boonies and could only find Clear Mod Podge at my local Walmart. It worked fine for my project. 

I used some printables from Illustrated Faith Print and Pray Shop. I love all of these printables!!!

I also used acrylic paints and applied them with an old WalMart gift card. The letters are actually cardstock alphabet cutouts and I traced them with a thin black marker. The word "his" are alphabet stickers by Recollections. 

Bible Journaling: Ephesians 2:10

I hope you are having a wonderful Saturday! I've got a little down time this morning and enjoying our beautiful spring weather!!! I love spring for it's beautiful colors! Everything is green and pretty with the flowers blooming reds, pinks, yellows, etc. it's like the earth came to life again.
 Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be the same?!! Bright and beautiful and renewed!! 

The verse for Week 15 @ Documented Faith is Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. "

As I read this "we are his workmanship" I focused on these words. He made us, we are all made by the same God, so let us come alive again and do good works to give Him honor and praise!! 

Supplies used: Crossway Journaling Bible, ESV Version (Family Christian Stores), Acrylic Paints (Ross), 
Printable "Beloved Society" from (Illustrated Faith's Print and Pray shop), Washi Tape (Hobby Lobby),
Word Letter stickers (Tim Holtz-Hobby Lobby), Black Letter Stickers (Joann Fabrics Store), "Workmanship" word printed in Word on my computer

Thank you for stopping by!! Have a blessed Saturday!

Handmade Cards are always Special

Good evening!!! Today, is my Mom's birthday. I won't say how old she is...but she does look very well for her age. So we will just focus on how YOUNG she looks!!! :)

My mother loves vintage, shabby and chic. So, I made this card for her this year. 

Every year I try to make her a Handmade Card, and she proudly displays them on her walls! 

Happy Birthday MOM!!! I love you!

Patterned Paper by My Mind's Eye, Pearl Stick-ons by Recollections, Martha Stewart border punch, Stickles, bling on flower is a button from WalMart. 

Thanks for taking a look. 

Goodnight and God Bless!!

Bible Journaling: Colossians 3:14

Happy Monday to you!!

This is now Week 7 over at Documented Faith. The focus word for February is LOVE. 

                                                      Page Details at the bottom.

This week's verse is in 

Colossians 3:14

"Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together."

I am using a Journaling Bible in the ESV version, so my verse reads like this:

"And above all these, put on Love which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

When we have God's love, we do things in Love.For example; showing compassion towards others, spreading kindness, practicing humility, demonstrating gentleness, and having patience. All of these are easy to do when you have love for others. 

For this page, I used a little bit of everything. Various Stickers, some by Tim Holtz, some acrylic paint, stickers, Bo-Bunny stamps, epherma, and an arrow Paperclip I found at Michael's and Washi Tape for Target's $1 spot. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderfully blessed Valentine's Day tomorrow. I challenge you to spread some LOVE!!!

Bible Journaling: 1 John 4:7-8

Good Wednesday to you!!!

Today I'm sharing a page from my ESV Crossway Jornaling Bible.
The verse this week at Documented Faith is

1 John 4:7-8

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

I think it's very appropriate for this month's holiday too!  

Valentine's Day that is!! 

Here it is: 
On the Recollections card, I wrote a list of the people I love....too many to list, but I wrote down my closest ones. :)

 Materials used: Polka dotted vellum and heart patterned paper (Michael's), Heart Washi Tape (Target $1 Spot), Recollections Library Card pocket/card (Michael's) kraft letter stickers (Hobby Lobby) Word Stickers (Tim Holtz) and Letter stickers (white letter on black) (Joann's Fabric Store), Plaid Ribbon (my sister had tied this around a gift) "Love Always" stamp (Peachy Cheap Deals)

Honestly,I hadn't worked in my Bible in months. I was in this "slump". Last weekend,

I atteneded a Women's Church Conference with a friend of mine. I had such an wonderful time, my soul was renewed.

On Friday, after receiving the email with this week's  Bible verse I was excited to read God's word and get some journaling done. 

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a blessed Wednesday!!!