Healed!

Happy Friday to you all!  What a wonderful day it is!  It's still muggy in the good old south, but my heart is holding out for rain and.....the fall!  I feel like The Little Engine That Could....I think I can, I think I can! LOL!!

Today I wanted to share a quick and simple card that I made for a very dear friend of mine who is having some health issues in her family!  I haven't ever shared a card before, mainly because I'm not necessary really good at them and spend most of my time in my journals.  I make the occasional card mainly because I feel like, I have the tools, so why not bless someone with a homemade card rather than buying one, but I don't make more than I do because I love spending all my free time playing with mixed media!

I made this card on a pre-made base that I got in the bargain bin (yep that's me..always looking for the bargain!) at Hobby Lobby and then cut and applied some pretty designer papers from Colorbok and Glitz paper packs.  I then took an ATC and painted a background with some of my faves Silks Acrylic Glazes in Sunflower and Pink Azalea.  I applied some Tim Holtz Distress in Spun Sugar around the edges and then with Vintage Photo.  I stamped on this pretty flower stamp that I just got in the mail from Unity Stamps with Staz On black ink and proceeded to paint on the design with my Silks Acrylics in Pink Azalea, Sky Blue, Pretty Peridot and Nutmeg.  I finished it off with some pretty ribbon that I bought (once again in the bargain bin...ha ha) and a flower from Essentials that I sprayed one of my fave sprays, Gold Colorshine, from Heidi Swapp and added a little button in the center.  I love buttons.  I don't sew (AT ALL) so it's quite comical that I like buttons.  But my husband has a booth in two different antique/flee markets and so I go in periodically and buy cute bottles or jars of buttons!  Go figure?  I adhered it all down with some good old Aleene's!

My heart in this card was to encourage her to declare healing for her loved one!  I don't believe it is ever God's will for us to be sick.  Circumstances in this fallen world that we live in opens the door for the enemy to have his way.  Often times I do believe God does "allow" certain things in our lives to see where our heart is in the midst of the circumstance.  How are we going to react.....in faith or throw the towel in at the first sign of distress!  In John 11, sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, sent to Jesus word that Lazarus, the one Jesus loved, had died. I believe it was at this point that Jesus made the decision to minister the "living" word! God's Word says Jesus abode two days in the place He was at.  In other words, He didn't go straight away!  I believe He wanted to see how they would react.  In the course of waiting, Jesus had conversation with His disciples assuring them, albeit their confusion, of Lazarus's death, siting that He was glad He didn't go straight away for the intent that they "believe," knowing he was dead and Jesus foreseeing the resurrection to come and the glory to God.

When He got there He found Lazarus had been dead for four days and there were many there.  Martha, at hearing Jesus was coming, was so excited that she ran out to Him, but Mary, I believe, was possibly so irritated or upset at Jesus for not coming right away, that she chose to stay at the home.  Remember, this was the Mary that anointed Jesus with oil and wiped His feet with her hair, so you know she loved Him deeply. So I believe she was upset. Martha of course noted to Jesus if He had been there Lazarus would not have died, but even now, she goes on to say, but whatever He would ask God, God would give it. Jesus told her Lazarus would rise again and she said she knew he would at the last resurrection. BUT Jesus quickly noted to her that HE was the resurrection, and the life and he that believeth in Him, though they were dead, shall live and never die!  When He asked her if she believed that, she said yes!

When she went and called Mary, Mary actually had to go to Jesus.  He still didn't go to where the mourners were.  When she got there, the mourners were in tow (misery loves company!).  I mean no disrespect, I believe they all were truly sad, but Mary knew who Jesus was and she allowed the influence of the Jewish visitors to cloud her vision.  When she reached Him, she quickly fell at His feet and quipped that if He had been there Lazarus would not have died.  I believe it was from a different heart than Martha.  He was however so touched and troubled by all of their grief, that He had them bring Him to the grave.  Martha, concerned for His well being, didn't want Him to go into the grave for the stench, but He quickly reminded her that He told her if she would believe, that she would see the glory of God.  It was then that when He had Lazarus come forth that many of the Jews who were with Mary saw these things and believed on Him. Jesus came for the unbeliever - they saw so they believed!  I believe had Mary chosen another stance, it would have quickened the Spirit and she would have been in a different place emotionally and spiritually.

In v. 11:4 it says "When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."  It's ALL ABOUT JESUS - that He get ALL THE GLORY!!  His sole purpose here on this earth was to reconcile man back to the Father through His shed blood.  That shed blood covered ALL sickness, ALL disease, ALL illness and EVERY circumstance that opposes God's Word.  His Word is life to the body, not death.  Healing does not happen on this side of Heaven for all people and for that I cannot answer (we all have different relationships with the Father), but I do KNOW without a shadow of doubt that it is NOT HIS WILL that we should be sick - it's covered under the blood. But just as sure, to be absent from this earthly body is to be present with the Father and I believe in that moment, healed in Heaven for eternity!

Declare today health and healing over yourself or a loved one!  You have been made whole through the blood!  We all mourn or even get angry and I believe that is ok with God, but don't stay in that place!  You be encouraged to go through that valley with a peace and joy, trusting that the Father has His purpose for your life in the palm of His hand!  He is your Rear Guard!

Blessings!