Posted in Miscellaneous

Weekly Verses…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Monday
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How can I not forgive a brother for whom Christ died, when I know what God paid to forgive me?
MY PRAYER…
Holy Father, I commit today to release any grudge or bitterness that I have against one of your children. I am
sorry for not reflecting your grace and mercy which you lavished on me. But Abba Father, I need the help of your Holy Spirit to relinquish my claim on the wrongs committed against me and to treat those who have hurt me as full siblings in your family. Empower me as I commit to follow your example in forgiving, even when it is hard. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Tuesday
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
History tells me it has been true! Faith trusts it will be true eternally! Reverent silences, a pause in the hectic rush of our lives, reminds us that it is true today.
MY PRAYER…
O Father in heaven, may your name be revered and held holy in my life and my world today. Your will be done, your reign on earth come with power and might and finality, just as it has already come in heaven. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Wednesday
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
God’s voice is always speaking. His witnesses give testimony to his glory, majesty and creative grace. The universe shouts with joy because behind it’s intricate beauty and power is the One who gave it life, purpose, and intention.
MY PRAYER…
O Great God and Creator of the countless heavens and our own small, blue planet, thank you for noticing the heart cries of one so small in a universe so large. I love you, admire you, trust you, and worship you with wonder.  Be exalted in my life, by words, and my deeds this day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Thursday
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Think of all the great gifts you’ve been given. Next to Jesus, the gracious sacrifice for our salvation, the greatest gift we can receive is God’s abiding presence in the Holy Spirit! He is ours if we ask. In fact, when we ask, he is already there interceding for us!
MY PRAYER…
Abba Father, through the precious Holy Spirit I come before you asking you to empower me, my loved ones, and my church through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray for renewal to sweep my country and this world led by your Spirit of grace, power, and love. Through Jesus, the giver of this great gift I pray. Amen.
Friday
Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
No matter what your passport says, if you are a Christian, there is no earthly country that can hold you, no borders that can claim you and no flag that flies above you but Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. You have more in common with the believing aboriginal tribesman of Indonesia, the Christian refugee in Africa, or the Bedouin brother in Egypt, or the high-rise business person in Hong Kong who bows to pray in Jesus name, or the Spirit-filled Brazilian housewife, than you do your next door neighbor if they don’t know Christ as Lord and Savior.
MY PRAYER…
Glorious God and Almighty Father, I look forward to the day when people from every language, tribe, nation, and language join the angels and elders around your throne and worship you in joy forever. Make us one, if not here, then soon, we ask you Lord, please come. Amen.
Saturday
The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
The greatest gift I can give my father, and my Father, is to be righteous in my heart and life.
MY PRAYER…
Holy and righteous Father, may my life please you and bring honor to my father and his name. I know that if I please you, it will make his heart glad. Help me as I seek to know you and serve you in ways that show your character in my life. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Sunday
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Compassion. Not pity, not anger, not shame, not impatience, not intolerance, not rejection, but compassion is what God, my Father, gives to me. He cares for my pain enough to enter into my world and share it in Jesus.
MY PRAYER…
Father of Mercies and God of all Compassion, thank you for not only knowing and caring about my struggles and problems but sending me help in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. By one I know your love and mercy and by the other I know your might and power. May your Spirit of compassion be found in my relationships. Through the grace of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Devotional: Oneplace.com
Posted in Miscellaneous

Weekly Verses…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Monday
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Why is it so hard to endure an unjust or unfair criticism? Why do we always have to defend ourselves no matter how ridiculous the charge? Often the problems we have with others simply escalate because we do not choose to forgive and let them go on in the Lord!
MY PRAYER…
Precious and Holy God, help me more carefully guard my speech from things you despise, especially gossip, slander, and innuendo. Thank you. Through Jesus’ grace. Amen.
Tuesday
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Praise is letting God know we recognize him for who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing.  But more than informing God of his greatness, praise is rejoicing before him in his greatness and recognizing that not only is his grace without comparison, his majesty and might and holiness and faithfulness and righteousness and mercy and love and forgiveness and justice and… are without comparison. Praise is thankful celebration that he is God, and even more importantly, that he is our God.
MY PRAYER…
Great and Gracious God without comparison, you are truly worthy of my best words and best thoughts and best imaginings. I worship and submit to you, rejoice that you are who you are, celebrate what you have done, and long for what you are yet to do. You are magnificent, my Father and my God. Through Jesus, and because of his matchless love, I praise you. Amen.
Wednesday
Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
While Paul’s exhortation here is excellent, it is the style of the exhortation we should especially notice. We live in an age where we are constantly pressured to emphasize the novel, new, or improved versions of things. But in our lives as Christians, we need to remind each other of what we are doing right and just simply say, “Hey, you’re doing well, just keep doing what you’re doing!”
MY PRAYER…
Faithful Father, thank you for noticing and keeping record of the things I’ve done that are good and pleasing to you. Please help me to keep doing those things that please you, only do them better, that you may be pleased and glorified. In Jesus name. Amen.
Thursday
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Love that surpasses knowledge. That’s very difficult to explain, but when you have loved your spouse for decades you experience what this means. When you love a child and do what you never dreamed you could do for another human being, you understand this phrase. And when you stand before God, adopted as a full heir of all his great riches, a full sibling to Jesus Christ the Lord, and know you are seen as holy, without reproach, and blameless, you begin to understand this phrase.
MY PRAYER…
Holy and incredible God, help me to know in my soul the love that is greater than words and knowledge so that I may not only be like you, but that I may know you in experience just as I know you in faith. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Friday
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
So many things about our lives are uncertain. This one thing, however, is sure:  no matter where, when, or how long, God will be there and will be with us.
MY PRAYER…
Everlasting Father, I find great comfort in knowing that I cannot be in a place or time where you are not. Stir my courage through your Spirit that I may be more bold, by your power and presence, to share the Gospel of Jesus. Through whom I pray. Amen.
Saturday
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
“The Lord is my strength!” Wow, what power we have in his abiding and empowering presence in the Holy Spirit.
MY PRAYER…
Sovereign God and Almighty Father, be not only my strength, but the strength of those battling depression, grief and despair. I ask your blessings especially and specifically for _________ at this time of difficulty and struggle. Through Jesus I ask this. Amen.
Sunday
Jesus said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
The world wants a Savior but not a Lord. The New Testament is clear, a Savior who is not Lord is no Savior and no friend. If the Old Testament showed us anything, it is that God’s seemingly bizarre laws were written not for his fascination but for his people’s preservation. Let’s not only call Jesus Lord this week, let’s live in a way that shows that he controls our lives and his Spirit produces our character.
MY PRAYER…
Most Holy Lord, please take control of my life and my will so I may be wholly yours, not just in word, but in thought and in deed as well. Amen.
Devotional credit: oneplace.com

Posted in Cardmaking, Encouragements, memories, memory keeping, Miscellaneous, Paper crafting, YouTube Videos

Mother’s Day Ideas…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Mother’s Day is just around the corner – what are you planning to get the special woman in your life? Sure, flowers, chocolates and store-bought cards are all nice sentiments, but why not do something extra special this year? We’ve got some thoughtful ideas we know you (and she!) will love!

Make Her A Handmade Card

Send her some love with a handmade card using the Sending Love Card Kit! Create one of the 12 cards that come with instructions OR make your own masterpiece using the pieces that come in the kit.

You can also design your own card from scratch.

Creative Memories 24/7 Shop: CreativeMemories.com/user/JosephinesDesigns.com

Picture and information credit: CreativeMemories.com

Posted in decorative travel journal, Encouragements, Journal, Journals, memories, memory keeping, Mini Albums, Miscellaneous, organization, Paper crafting, Project Life, Supplies, YouTube Videos

National Scrapbook Day Online Class…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

12x12 Hunter Green Full Bloom Album Cover

Hello Dear Friends, 

I am soooo excited to share with you a fun new event to my YouTube channel!! I have loved Creative Memories for many many years!! I loved when I was a consultant many years ago and I am thrilled to be apart of them again!! 

Having a Grandmother with dementia and a Mom who recently passed with Alzheimer’s, memory keeping is invaluable!!! I loved working on albums for my family!! I loved making albums for my Grandmother and Mom. When they were confused, I would show them pictures and walk them through time by looking at their memory books. The nurses and doctors always thanked me. They knew that love and sharing memories was so much better than medications. And I must tell you though it didn’t heal their struggles, they both knew they were loved and they always could find a part of their history to bring them back to the present…as much as they were able. For my Grandmother it was always successful…for my Mom, I was so blessed that she found comfort and could always find something in her albums to remember. 

Now they are both gone, and though I miss them both, I now am the caretaker of those precious albums and those incredible memories. It was a blessing then…and it is a blessing now. 

Being a story teller is the greatest gift we can give to our families…I know this with all my heart. I know I have allot to be thankful for, and this part of my journey is a blessing from the Lord. And now it is my job, to pass on the stories to my children…and one day my grandchildren. And I will be thankful to have these family history books ready to share. 

So come join with me and let’s build our family story journals together!! 

Prayers and hugs…k 🙂 

12x12 Violet Secret Garden Fast2Fab™ Album

The NSD Project Recipe™ Kit below can be yours when you attend my NSD class online!! Just email JosephinesDesigns.com and get your kit today!! 🙂 See how below. 

The class will be posted on my YouTube JosephinesDesigns.com.

You can watch it when it’s posted on May 5th. And if for any reason you cannot make that day, no worries!! The class will be available at anytime on my YouTube channel and my here on my website: JosephinesDesigns.com. 

PS…There are 10 openings and each kit is $18.00 plus shipping.  I will also keep a waiting list and if we have enough interest by April 27, 2018, I will gladly order more kits!! 🙂

I will be adding some fun goodies to each kit to encourage you in your memory keeping!! 🙂 

After April 27th, each kit will go up to $25.00 plus shipping. So please hurry and grab your kit as soon as possible. 

To order your kit today, email me at JosephinesDesigns.com@gmail.com

The first 10 people to order and pay for their kit will be signed up for the online class. 

12x12 Hunter Green Full Bloom Fast2Fab™ Album

Posted in Encouragements, Journal, Journals, Junk Journals, memories, memory keeping, Miscellaneous, organization

Weekly Verses…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Monday
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not  self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Love does not focus on me, but on others.  Each of these qualities of love is based upon an affectionate, compassionate, and forgiving attitude that regards others of value and not just self.  No wonder the old saying goes “The middle of sIn is a big I!”
MY PRAYER…
Holy God and Sacrificial Father, teach me to notice others and value them just as you do. I know you loved me when I was not lovable, and redeemed me when I was not worthy.  Help me to take my eyes off myself and see others as you see them. Through Jesus I pray.  Amen.
Tuesday
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:6-7
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Always love – pretty tall order and pretty tough stuff. Only God is “always.”  But then Christians are fueled to a
always love through the Holy Spirit!  Check out the promised source of “always” love in Romans 5:5.
MY PRAYER…
Sweet and Glorious God on High, I humble myself before you, recognizing your boundless power to love, the incredible need for love in the lives of those around me, and my limited ability to love.  Please pour your Holy Spirit into my heart and fill me with the power to love as you do, always.  In Jesus’ sweet name I pray.  Amen.
Wednesday
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Did you know the Bible doesn’t just say, “God loves you?” Now don’t let me confuse you, it does say God loves us many times, but each time it does, it shows us that love as well. God loved us so much time he didn’t just say I love you with a valentine, he showed he loved us by sending his Son!
MY PRAYER…
Loving and almighty God, thank you for loving me.  Thank you for both saying it and showing it.  Please know, dear Father, I love you, too! Accept my words and actions today as a testimony to my love.  Through Jesus I pray.  Amen.
Thursday
A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you , so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How do you recognize Jesus’ followers?  How do you find Christians?  Jesus said they love each other just as he loved the disciples. In the immediate context, this means he is willing to give sacrificially and extravagantly by dying for them on the cross, and he is also willing to love selflessly and practically by washing their feet. His ministry reveals he also will do almost anything in between extravagant and practical. Imagine if we all read the Gospels, and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed his love to his disciples!
MY PRAYER…
Father of Compassion and God of all grace, I thank you for teaching me to love through the example of Jesus.  May my words and actions reflect some resemblance of his love toward your people today.  Through Christ, my Great Example, I pray.  Amen.
Friday
This is love:  not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:10
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
He loved us first!  He offered his Son to save us regardless of our decision to believe or ignore his grace.  We are given the ability to accept or reject the death of his Son as the sacrifice for our sins.  The only condition, as 1 John 2:1-2 emphasizes, is that we realize that he died for everyone else in the world, too!
MY PRAYER…
Precious King, God Almighty, why you should love me and send Jesus to die for me I will never fully understand.  Thank you for your love. Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to save me.  I pray in your name and by your intercession.  Amen.
Saturday
This is the message you heard from the beginning:  We should love one another.
1 John 3:11
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
The original message – love one another.  The enduring message – love one another.  The most convicting message – love one another.  The most difficult message – love one another. I’m reminded of the little verse:  To dwell above with saints we love, O that will be glory. But to dwell below with saints we know, now that’s another story.  But it’s the story we’re called to write!
MY PRAYER…
Loving Father, I commit to you that I will intentionally show my love for your children this week in what I do and say. I do this, trusting your grace to empower me to do more than I would do on my own.  Through Jesus my Savior I pray.  Amen.
Sunday
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:35-37
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Conquerors! We win!!  When you open up the final book of the Bible, Revelation, that is the message – Christians win because Jesus is the one true conqueror.  No matter how the battle is going for you right now, remember that in the end, we win!
MY PRAYER…
El Shaddai, God Almighty, thank you for securing the ultimate victory for me by raising Jesus from the dead.  I know he is coming with victory on the day you have determined, but I pray that I may live victoriously for you until that day. Through Jesus my conquering King I pray.  Amen.
Devotional Credit: Oneplace.com
Posted in Encouragements, Journal, Journals, memories, memory keeping, Miscellaneous

Weekly Verses…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com
Monday
Do not be deceived:   God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:7-8, New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Isn’t it incredible how huge trees grow out of tiny seeds! This principle runs throughout all of life.  We can never completely get away from the seeds we sow.  So let’s not fool ourselves while we’re trying to do a “snow job” on God.  Let’s make sure the seeds we sow are the ones we want sprouting up!
MY PRAYER…
O Eternal God, who lived before time began and who will be the Great I AM when time is no more, bless the seeds my life sows so they may bear fruit and bless those I love.  Through Jesus, the grain of wheat who died and was buried so that life may flower forth.  Amen.
Tuesday
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Ask!  So often we’re afraid to ask for help because we have to admit we don’t have the answers.  Seek!  Effort and interest and perseverance are necessary and that’s sometimes hard. Knock! But God wants us to use the A.S.K. principle and bring our hearts before him. So let’s not whine, complain, desire, and want.  Let’s A.S.K. our Father and seek his glory.
MY PRAYER…
Waiting Father, I am sorry that so often you hear only my whines, complaints, and concerns.  You have been so generous with your love.  Help me to keep my heart set on you and your will today as I ask you to minister to the things on my heart. Through Jesus I pray.  Amen.
Wednesday
If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Wisdom is that illusive quality we respect in others and find so difficult to develop in ourselves.  Yet God promises it to those who really ask.  But remember the secret of ASKing –asking, seeking, and knocking.       Or better yet, check out Proverbs 2.  Wisdom is ours only if we seek it above all other possessions and value it above all other diversions.  God longs to impart it, but there is something about wisdom that demands we  value it before we can receive it.
MY PRAYER…
Gracious giver of all good gifts, please bless me with wisdom today.  Let me reflect your will and live for your glory in all my decisions.  Let your Kingdom guide my heart as I make my choices and have your Spirit lead me in your ways.  I confess, Father, that I cannot guide my own steps without your help.  So grant me wisdom this day.  I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Thursday
If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Galatians 6:1
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
In a day when intervening in someone’s life is no longer politically and socially correct, these verses ring out like a gunshot on a still night.  Sin is still real and is just as deadly as ever.  Yet because we fear being branded judgmental, we let many who are trapped by sin go to their spiritual death.  The call is for nonjudgmental intervention — we recognize the gravity of the sin and the need of the sinner, without feeling arrogant in our righteousness.       “There but for the grace of God go I.”
MY PRAYER…
Father, forgive my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me.  But Father, also help my heart to be gripped by the gravity of sin’s effects and to be stirred into action by those whom it has trapped.  Through Jesus, who came to rescue me from my sin, I pray.  Amen
Friday
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable –if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
Philippians 4:8New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Our actions follow our thoughts like a heat-seeking missile follows the exhaust of a jet fighter’s engine.      So in a day when so much around us trains us to find the negative in life, we must aggressively think and pursue the character, the qualities, and the things of God’s goodness.
MY PRAYER…
Holy and Magnificent God, thank you for being better than anything my world can offer me.  Thank you for calling me to a higher standard than the world accepts.  Thank you for giving me the promise of a better future than any human can imagine. Thank you for giving me a high calling. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
Saturday
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
–-James 4:10
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Humble yourselves.  That sounds obscene.  At least to the culture of self-promotion and “get ahead at all cost” and “don’t look back, the competition is gaining on you” it sounds obscene.  Humility is a forgotten virtue.  Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it.  Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key is to know our place before him and let him put us in the place he chooses to honor him.
MY PRAYER…
Abba Father, Most Holy God, thank you for allowing me into your presence. When I think of all that you have done, the incredible universe you have made and hold together by your word, I am amazed you invite me into your presence and care about my words.  Thank you for knowing me and having a plan for my life to please you. Help me this day to glorify you in what I do.  Through Jesus I pray.  Amen.
Sunday
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:12-13
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE..
How often do you forget that we are in a spiritual war?  Our enemy is deceptively cunning – take away the immediacy of a threat and the danger appears gone.  But he’s there, always. But rather than try to guess his plans and counter all of his moves, Paul reminds us to simply take up the tools God has given us and stand up to the evil one.
MY PRAYER…
Lord of Hosts, my Great Deliverer, protect me from the evil one by your great power.  Give me a sense of urgency as I face Satan and his schemes on a daily basis, but also give me confidence that Jesus has already defeated my foe.  Help me to stand against this foe and show myself faithful to you. Through Jesus my Lord and Savior I pray.  Amen.
Devotional credit: Oneplace.com
Posted in Cardmaking, decorative travel journal, Encouragements, file folder journal, Gallery, Journal, Journals, Junk Journals, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, memory keeping, Mini Albums, Miscellaneous, Occasions, organization, Paper crafting, planning, Project Life, stamping, Supplies, travel journal, YouTube Videos

First YouTube Channel Giveaway!!

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

After a wonderful bit of time on YouTube: JosephinesDesigns.com , I am thrilled to share my first giveaway!! Please enjoy the video below and then hop on over and take a peak at the channel. It’s a great community with a focus on encourgement. Encouragement through planning, crafting, hauls and Bible study/Illustrated Faith.

So please grab a nice cup of tea and come on over (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNF08CE8fU6EsXPvN3mzVpw/videos) and say hello!! We’d love to encourage you!!

k

Posted in Encouragements, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, Miscellaneous

Weekly Verses…

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Monday

This is what the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
 —Isaiah 43:16 and Isaiah 43:18-19
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
The year is gone, finished, past.  We cannot reclaim it or undo it.  We cannot rest on the things it has brought us.  If tomorrow dawns, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord.  Let’s journey forward, knowing that God already inhabits the future and promises to provide us refreshment.
MY PRAYER…
Lord of all eternity, please help me to learn from my mistakes but not dwell on them.  Please help me not rest on my accomplishments in this past year, but use them to further your work in me and through me.  Please help me not quarrel with those who injured me yesterday, or last month.  Instead, O Father, lead me in your paths and help me see your mighty works this next year.  In Jesus name and by his power I ask it. Amen.
Tuesday
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
—2 Corinthians 5:17
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
We all like “do-overs” or second chances. God does much better than that! He allows us to become new again. Being the “God of new things” he can even make us new. Beyond forgiveness, beyond cleansing, he makes us holy through Jesus. Let’s use the opportunity of a New Year as a springboard to living a life fresh and new and alive to God!
MY PRAYER…
O LORD, thank you for a New Year and a fresh start. Please give me wisdom and strength to serve you with integrity and faithfulness in this coming year. I pray that your work be done in my life as I offer myself, my plans, and my future to you. I pray this through Jesus, my intercessor and Lord. Amen.
Wednesday
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
—Psalms 90:12
New International Version\
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
So often we look up and time has passed us by. The things we promised ourselves we’d accomplish and the deeds we told others we’d do get left undone. Before we know it, days have become weeks, and weeks months, and months years. We find ourselves unable to do what we once assumed we could do any time we want. We must ask the Spirit of God to help us see and seize the opportunities the LORD places in our path.
MY PRAYER…
Father, I confess that so often I leave undone what needs to be done. Please help me see your plans in each of my days and live in a way which not only honors you, but also blesses those you want me to reach. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Thursday
While [Joseph and Mary] were [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
—Luke 2:6-7
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
I’ve always been amazed at how God chose to place his Son into our world.  He could have done it any way he wanted.  But he chose this way — to enter the world in difficult times under difficult circumstances as a helpless infant who must be cared for by parents who were vulnerable to so many frailties. Yet in spite of the challenges that lay ahead and the bewildering mystery that confronted them:  Joseph and Mary, along with everyone around them, were caught up in the great joy this new child gave.
MY PRAYER…
Give me a heart of faith, O God, so that I might always see your sovereignty and grace being poured out on me in special ways.  I am thrilled that you, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, chose to enter my world as a child.  Thank you for trusting your wonderful salvation to human flesh so we could know that you deemed us worthy of entering our world to make us right for yours.  Through Jesus.  Amen.
Friday
[God] has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
God’s desires for us are not hard to discern.  He wants to bless us with salvation. The incredible gift of his Son is powerful testimony to this truth.  But salvation from sin and death is not something he wants to happen in our lives only once.  He wants our lives to daily reflect his salvation and to share it with others.  We should act justly and pursue mercy in our relationships, and honor him with our worship from a humble heart.
MY PRAYER…
Almighty and compassionate Father, as I embrace this New Year, help my eyes see what your heart sees.  Teach me to hate sin and be merciful to the repentant.  Teach me to know truth and act fairly, while hating abuse and exploitation. Through your Spirit, stir me to reflect on the great distance between your holy majesty and my inconsistent character.  Make me more your child, I pray, in Jesus name.  Amen.
Saturday
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless.
Isaiah 1:16-17
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Do you find it easy to replace service to those in need with religious rituals?  I know I do!  But God wants us to not get so caught up in talking about him and celebrating his deeds, that we forget we’re supposed to care for others like he does. Whether it is Jesus defining his ministry in Luke 4:18-19 or James talking about the kind of piety that pleases God (1:26-27), we must realize true faith is treating others as God would. Today’s verse defines what God does and asks us to live the same.
MY PRAYER…
O Great God of all comfort, open my eyes today to see those who need your love and give me the attentiveness, time, and compassion to serve them.  May Jesus’ work be seen in my life today.   Amen.
Sunday
Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:13
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
When Jesus came the first time, he came to reveal God (John 1:18).  As wonderful, powerful, and gracious as he was in his earthly ministry, it did not fully reveal Jesus our Lord.  Our hope is tied to his return.  When he comes this time, he won’t come to reveal God, but to reveal himself — the conquering Lord, the Rider on the white horse.  Every knee will bow.  And we will see him as he really and fully is, Immanuel in power and grace.  With this as our hope,  we can be ready for active service to our king as people who live their lives under his leadership and control.
MY PRAYER…
O Almighty God, I long for the day when I get to see Jesus face to face coming with the angels in power.  Until that time, fasten my heart in hope to the glory Jesus will share with me on that day, and please empower me to live as one who knows that victory is mine in Jesus.  Jesus, through your powerful name I pray.  Amen.
Devotional credit: Oneplace.com