Rest in Hope!

Good Monday morning my crafty friends!  It's FINALLY cold in Georgia!!  Yipee!!  To some of you, that may seem odd, but to Georgians, it is most welcome!!  If for nothing else, to get rid of the mosquitos!!  Here is hoping you had a wonderful weekend!

Today, I want to share a journal spread that has been going around in my spirit since my awesome retreat weekend a few weekends ago.  It is a truth, that as a Christian, I have known, but it was revealed to me in a bigger light at the retreat!  There was so much awesome "break through" for me as a believer, that I'm looking forward to seeing how God is going to work that spoken word in and through me!  It will definitely be "cutting away" of things not needed and will definitely take me out of my "comfort zone," but I want to walk in TOTAL freedom as a believer!  I am a work in progress!

 When I started this page, I wasn't sure where I was going with it.  I had a general idea, but what I opted to do was to just start laying stuff down randomly without much thought and see what was revealed.  I think sometimes we all need to do that, to get us out of that OCD mentality! LOL  I started with gesso on my page and then proceeded to lay down some yummy Faber Castell Gelatos. I always start off trying to move them around with my fingers and I end up using a little water to get a better result.  Everyone else seems to have better luck at that than I do? LOL  I then put little pieces of drywall tape around and some pieces of corrugated cardboard for some texture.

I then used a 7gypsies script stamp with StazOn on the background and distressed with Vintage photo around the edges.  I had a "cheapo" stencil that I got from Walmart that I put some hunter green acrylic paint through and then took some almond acrylic paint and put it through an old "circles" stencil that I had.  Then I laid down some brown acrylic paint through one of my favorite Crafter's Workshop stencils called Well Rounded. I wanted a little white so I put some gesso through a Rebekah Meier's "Specimen" stencil and I think it gave it just the little pop I was looking for.  I then took my charcoal pencil and outlined some of the almond circles I had done to give it some more depth.  I love the "bargain bin" and I found some little alpha stamps in the bargain bin for $.99 that I just love using!  I think I have gotten more use out of them than some of my expensive stamps! LOL I stamped my scripture sentiment on some scrapbook paper that I had lightly stamped with the same 7gypsies stamp that I used on the journal background.  I also had this cute heart stamp from Tim Holtz that I stamped on the same paper.  I laid them all down with mod podge and then outlined with a pitt pen.  I also stamped the "trust, love and hope" stamps in StazOn on the pages and finished out with the same charcoal pencil around the edges. I really like how it turned out.

God's word tells us that the lust of the flesh comes NOT from the Father, but from the world.  I think sometimes people look at that word "lust" and their mind immediately goes to certain things. However, the lust of the flesh is ANYTHING that you allow your "human" nature to dictate and drive your life as opposed to what our Father in Heaven has set out for you! That very mindset is carnal and gratifies our "flesh" and as Christians, we are supposed to be living by the Spirit and lead by the Spirit in our daily walk.  The flesh will ALWAYS be contrary to the Spirit and as such keep you from the things and the ways that the Father has called you to.

The enemy of this world would have you believe that doing what "you want to do" gives you power and strength, but for the Christian that spirit comes from a spirit of pride!  When we walk according to the flesh we are living a life that desires to please man instead of the Father, whereby your motives are purely to honor Him! Living according to the Spirit requires a crucifying of the flesh and it's way of thinking and submitting those thoughts to the Lord.  It's through grace and mercy that Christ offered us on the cross, through His shed blood, that allows us to operate in this manner.  Your flesh will be uncomfortable, but when you offer that up to the Father, the battle becomes HIS!  Because of Jesus, in ALL THINGS you ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!  You don't have to struggle! It is through His strength when He overcame the world that you can do ALL THINGS!

I'm so thankful for ALL that Jesus did on the cross for ME! I want to be about my Father's business and bringing forth fruit that honors Him!  When those things are produced, you can surely know that you're are being led by the Spirit!  I've made a commitment lay those things down that have kept me from furthering and deepening my relationship with the Father.  Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice that I could have a grace, peace and joy as I go through!!

Bless you today as you allow Jesus, your advocate in Heaven, carry you through!