Tag: Bible study

In the Word Wednesday #5: Thankful for Restoration

 Happy Wednesday, my friends!

I love reflecting on all to be thankful for, and it’s a wonderful practice all year long, not just in November. There are many verses in Scripture that tell us to be thankful always, in all circumstances.

I’d like to share with you a recent restoration that I am most thankful for. The restoration of my creativity. 

Last week I shared what the last 5 years have been like for our family. It has been a season of amazing growth in my faith. Something, however, had gone missing.

Since childhood, I’ve been telling stories (no, not lying, lol). To my toys, friends, in school…I’ve always loved to read and tell stories. I’ve been known to stay up all night long reading books or writing. About 12 years ago I was able to fulfill a dream and publish my first book. See, I even have an Amazon author page! My only classes in high school that I aced were writing and art. (I was a solid low B in all my others except math, but this post is not about my math deficiencies.) Creating, be it in writing or other forms, has been with me my whole life.

When our daughter stepped into eternity, the gift of writing left. I have tried, over the past 5 years, to reclaim that somehow. I forced myself to finish the fifth book in my Lakeville series, and couldn’t do the work of formatting it for print, so that one is only available on Kindle. I lost my passion for sitting, creating, doing the work to get it done.

I was dry.

 I was still journaling, but nothing creative; lots of “Help me, Lord” and lists. I tried coloring books, and other things. I was working as a teacher’s assistant  and that gave me some creativity is working on bulletin boards and classroom decor.

I found You Tube videos about book binding, and from there, card making. That really caught my attention, and strangely enough, rubber stamping has never been one of the artsy things I’ve ever done, outside of the required making rubber stamps from erasers in school. In His graciousness, He restored creativity in my life. I am so very thankful.

What are you thankful that the Lord has restored in your life? I would love to hear about it.

Thank you for stopping by,

In His Wonderful Grace,

Barbara 

In the Word Wednesday, #4 Thankfulness in November

 Good day to all!

 I hope you’re week was full of small and great moments in which you were thankful. As usual, my week was up and down, yet we are called to be thankful in all things (…give thanks in all circumstances; this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 ).

I have learned to be thankful in all. I like to think that I always have been, and I’m sure I have, but maybe not in the harder things. 

In the last 5 years, we have lost an adult child, had a cancer diagnosis, been through a bone marrow transplant, moved, and had a hip replacement. Goodness, I’m exhausted typing all of that; there’s enough there for anyone to say, “What? Really? Listen, God, I’m not sure this is anything to be thankful for.”

Yes, there is. 

I am thankful that I have a God, the GOD of all creation, Who cares about me. Who listens when I cry out. Not only listens, He answers. 

God walked with me through the darkest valley of my life. Only in Him, was I able to put one foot in front of the other and get on with life. Two and a half years after my daughter stepped into eternity, my husband had a cancer diagnosis. That was 18 months of radiation, chemo and a bone marrow transplant. We had to move from the house we’d lived in for almost 10 years soon after and just this past August, I had a hip replacement. 

I share all of that to share that God never left me. I always had something, big or small, to be thankful for in those times. Just a quick text from a friend, a good night of sleep, a hot bath. One of my kids bringing home dinner, or vacuuming. The immense generosity of my husband’s former co-workers bringing meals, offers to drive us  to appointments, financial gifts. My job allowed me to take family leave time, and held my position for me, and allowed me to return just a few hours daily until my hubby was in a better state. The prayers of friends, the “you’ve got to get out” friends who whisked me away to walk, get a pedicure or just go have coffee. 

I am incredibly thankful for the honor of going through a deep and difficult time. I have been able to praise God in all circumstances…really and truly praise Him. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Please share with me times when you were thankful in the dark days.

Thank you for coming by. May your day be filled with thankful moments.

Blessings,

Barb

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart, by Don Moen

In the Word Wednesday, #3

Good morning!

The Thanksgiving season is upon us! Of course, the stores are chock full of Christmas decor, and discount Halloween candy, but we know better! The most wonderful time is Thanksgiving! With all our planning full of meals, family gatherings, treats, and who gets the wishbone, we need to recall the REASON we are thankful.

A quick search of your Bible’s concordance, or an online resources like Blue Letter Bible, will pull up many references to thanksgiving, thanks, thankfulness, etc. We are to have grateful hearts for the provisions of our gracious and merciful God. There are many, many places in scripture where we’re told to give thanks. 

There are many places online where you can find gratitude lists for the month, featuring 30 verses to pray, for your journaling time, read and meditate on or you can make a list of your own. Becky at the So Very Blessed blog has a 30 day gratitude challenge you can access here. 

No matter how you do it, find a way to be thankful each and every day. It changes your heart and perspective. Transformation is what Jesus is all about; transforming your hearts and minds to be more like Him.

The thankful theme will continue this month, so let me know how you are being thankful this month!

Thank you for coming by!

Be blessed, and #createandblessothers,

Barbara

*The graphic is from Family Radio, a wonderful station if you are looking for uplifting and encouraging music and teachings. You can find your local station at this link.

In the Word Wednesday #2

 Good morning! (ugh, it’s probably afternoon)

Psalm 119 is an amazing, wonderful, epic prayer. Of the many topics the 176 cover, it’s most often a prayer to stay close to God, walk humbly in His ways and asking God to stay close. There’s repentance, confession, personal and corporate intercession, even some prayer for enemies to be vanquished. 

In Psalm 118, if I might digress a moment, is a passage that I have been praying daily for Israel.

All the nations surround me;

   in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

They surrounded me on every side;

   In the name of the LORD, I cut them off!

They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns;

   In the name of the LORD I cut them off!

I was pushed so hard that I was falling, but the LORD helped me (Psalm 118-10-13, ESV)

Back to Psalm 119, it is an acrostic piece, which means that the first letter of each verse corresponds with a letter of the alphabet. There are 22 sections, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I think I have decided that my favorite passage is from verses 33-40. Yesterday, I was attempting some stamping art, using a technique called stamping off. You load your stamp with ink, then stamp once on a piece of scrap paper before stamping on your project. I have a naturally heavy hand, so I think I need to practice this a bit more! I also used my blending daubers on one to bring just a bit of color. Here are my efforts so far:

I’ll be making a few more, hopefully with less “typos”!! hahaha

What are you doing creative today that incorporates faith? Please let me know in the comments!
Be blessed!
Barbara 

In the Word Wednesday #1

Hello, friends!

On Wednesdays, I’ll be featuring In the Word Wednesday. So, welcome to the first one! 

I have a group of friends that I meet with weekly, to dug deep into Scripture and wrestle out those sometimes tricky passages. We’ve been through Romans and Ezekiel, and lately we’re studying through the book of Psalms.

  

We decided to use a study guide from the Precept Inductive Bible Studies series. There’s lots of symbols to use (or not, as you are the one who has to decipher it all) and for the creative folks, it may be a bit distracting.  I know I need to stop once in a while so I refocus on the verse itself, and not which little symbol or colored pencil I need. Nonetheless, it has been a great study, and we still have a few weeks to go. This week we’re in Psalm 119, a favorite of mine. It’s rich with assurance and promises, the way you should walk, and how His Word lights that path. 

What are you doing to stay in His word? I’d love to hear about what you use in your Bible study time.

I’ll see you tomorrow with a new card!

Thanks for joining me today!

Be blessed, 
Barb