Tag: inspiration

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian, Encouragements, Journal, Miscellaneous, YouTube Videos

Today’s Encouragement: Tony Evans: Strength In Your Struggles

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Hello Sweet Friends,

Tony Evans has been a favorite pastor of mine for many many years. Bless his heart and the hearts of his family. They have genuinely been through such a difficult period. He is so encouraging in sharing what he has been through and most importantly what God has taught him.

In times as this, we are blessed to find encouragement and comfort as we all go through this journey.

This is a video of Dr. Tony Evans’ sermon on Feb. 5, 2020 that is on his YouTube. Please click below if you would like to hear more of his preaching/teaching of the things of God.

Be encouraged Dear Friends…God is our “strength in our struggles”. And thank you Dr. Evans for this wonderful message and all your service to Jesus!!

Be safe!!

And keep serving Him well Sweet Friends…He loves you so very very much!!

Love, hugs and prayers….k

k

https://youtu.be/D8A26qdp3Yk

Posted in Christian, Encouragements, Miscellaneous

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

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Hey Sweet Friends,

The following article about St. Patrick is quite amazing!! He truly is a hero of the faith!!

Hugs and prayers….k 🙂

Every year, St. Patrick’s Day seems to be synonymous with Irish symbols, pots of gold, shamrocks, and above all — the color green. But these traditions have almost completely obscured the real life and testimony of such an amazing character in Christian history.

Though shrouded in myth and legend, the true story of the man we now call “Saint Patrick” is quite fascinating. Although he is revered as the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick was actually born in what is now Scotland. At sixteen years of age, he was captured by Irish pirates and forced into slavery in a deep inland region. As a young man he had ignored all sense of faith or religion, but while in captivity he called out to God and came to depend on Him through that arduous period. It was also during this time that he was able to witness firsthand the barbaric paganism of the Irish Celts.
After spending six years in slavery, he was able to make his escape: walking over 200 miles to the coast, then convincing a reticent ship captain to let him board. After a few more setbacks, he finally arrived back in Scotland. Along the way, he led many of the ship’s crew to place their faith in Christ.

After returning home, he sought to strengthen his own faith and give his life in service to God’s kingdom. He received formal training to join the clergy, and soon became a minister. But he did not stay in his homeland very long, for he sensed a clear call of God to return back to pagan Ireland, to proclaim the Gospel in the land of his former captivity.
“With no hesitation, he returned to Ireland to preach the gospel. The hardships he had endured during his previous captivity equipped him. . . . Patrick met much opposition, but boldly faced it head-on. It became his common practice to preach first to the king of each Irish domain.

“Patrick managed to impress each king with the Gospel or was given leniency to teach it to the people. They in turn renounced their gods as demons and served the one true God instead. According to his own writings, Patrick baptized thousands of new believers, resulting in a changed country. By the end of the fifth century, Ireland had a strong pulse as a Christianized nation.”
—Kaylena Radcliff, editor for Christian History magazine

It is very difficult to comprehend the impact of Patrick’s courageous obedience to return to the land of his captors. Some scholars have even published titles such as “How the Irish Saved Civilization” to examine how far-reaching the effects of Irish Christianity have been on the rest of the world, all tracing back to the legacy of Patrick.

 

Posted in Bible Journaling, Bible Journaling Camp, Christian, Encouragements, Hymnal Journaling, Journal, Journals, Junk Journals, memories, memory keeping, Miscellaneous, organization, planning, travel journal, YouTube Videos

Where Is JosephinesDesings.com on YT?

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Hey Sweet Friends,

I have had a series of things arise on top of a full work schedule. I will be back soon…Hopefully in the next day or so!!

We are fine…nothing God can’t handle!! 🙂 And I am thankful for each step right now!!

Please stay safe and be a light for Jesus…He loves you so.

Hugs and prayers….k 🙂

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Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian, Encouragements, Journals, Miscellaneous, YouTube Videos

How the Bible Assures Us That God Is in Control

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Hey Sweet Friends,

I literally read this article to my Sweet Husband tonight in light of what we are to do. There are many things being affected…jobs for some, income, investments and most importantly health. As one with a compromised immune system…I choose faith and joy in this journey…in all things.

Interestingly, I was working on my ByTheWell4God newest devotional on contentment this week and WOW, is God’s timing awesome!!!! Let us choose to trust God and be content that He is in control!!! PTL!!!

We have to have faith in our great and awesome God!!!  🙂

The author of this article says it much better than myself. Let us focus on scripture, prayer and be a light for Jesus in a dark time in our world.

Hugs and prayers to all of you,

k 🙂

 

How the Bible Assures Us That God Is in Control

God is always in control. Do you believe that today?

Perhaps you have a hard time seeing His power because life is full of storms, swelling and threatening everything you hold dear. If so, a house built on the Rock (God) is secure.

Maybe you have trouble defining what “in control” means. Perhaps you don’t want to be under His authority. Others might have abused authority, and you refuse to submit to anyone ever again.

Why would it benefit a person to live under God’s control?

Does ‘God Is in Control’ Appear in the Bible?

There is no place in scripture that says these words precisely, but situations in the Bible demonstrate the truth of God’s control. His omnipotence is a fact whether we like it or not. How is “control” defined? Several words come to mind: authority; subjection; sovereignty; power; dominance; restraint. God’s people are often in battle, either over the powers of flesh and blood or of the spiritual realms.

What Does it Mean that God Is in Control?

These verses give us confidence that God sees what we suffer, is planning to deliver us, and that He has our best interests at heart. He shows up when we mess up. Christians can trust and rely on Him to supply a rescue as He did by the sacrifice of His Son for His glory. Some people might think this makes God a megalomaniac or puppet master, abusing His authority to exalt Himself.

John Piper writes “the natural person prefers his own autonomy” and will sin as a result. “Glad submission to God’s authority, and to God’s superior value and beauty, is something we are not able to do.”

God’s control, his authority, gives us freedom because “the human will is free when it is not in bondage to prefer and choose irrationally. It is free when it is liberated from preferring what is infinitely less preferable than God, and from choosing what will lead to destruction.” (Ibid.)

We all submit to something—whether to God or to desires of the flesh—but only submission to His authority frees us from slavery. His authority is safety for the vulnerable.

As for exalting Himself, the Lord says “[h]ow can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:11) Our purpose is to praise and worship Him, not to try to manipulate Him for answers to prayer on our terms.

God has the last word, but that word is not what we are expecting.

The Israelites expected their Lord to exercise control in the manner of a Roman soldier over his troops; in a cause and effect pattern. Jesus’ disciples could not imagine any other type of display, least of all the agonized and humiliated form of their crucified Rabbi. Jesus demonstrated what it means to serve the King, submitting to ultimate authority. He modeled loving submission to the Father.

Then God surprised everyone by demonstrating that He has control over sin and death, raising His Son from the grave. Life itself falls under the command of He who bestows life in the first place.

 

Other Scripture Verses Assuring That God Is in Control

He is commander of an army, God’s people are His soldiers, and He exercises authority over them. God not only leads but protects, accepting responsibility for His people. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

He makes promises and keeps them, always.

Scripture Passages That Assure God Is in Control

Joshua 1: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Moses was dead, Joshua was appointed leader to take Israel into the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert.

God Almighty possessed ultimate control over the outcome, and Joshua knew the Lord was faithful. God promised Israel a land of their own, and He delivered according to His timeline and by His methods.

John 2: Christ caused chaos in the temple where moneylenders and vendors were turning His Father’s “house into a market.” (John 2:16)

The Jews asked under whose authority Jesus overturned the tables and whipped the vendors. He answered “destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19) Jesus was talking about His body. The temple was destroyed at the cross and raised again three days later.

God’s authority is total, encompassing even life and death.

Isaiah 45: “I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3)

Isaiah is talking about King Cyrus, referring to him “as Jehovah’s ‘shepherd,’ the Lord’s ‘anointed,’ who was providentially appointed to facilitate the divine plan” of setting Israel free from captivity. Yet, Cyrus “did not ‘know’ Jehovah” and became “an unconscious tool in the hands of the Lord” about 150 years after Isaiah’s prophecy.)

Cyrus did not know or obey the Lord and God used Him anyway. This is powerful evidence of God’s control over the Jews’ situation, His sovereignty over time, demonstrates a power which never becomes outdated. He mapped out the resolution to sin and death before we were born. Even unbelievers like Cyrus are subject to God’s command.

What Does it Mean that God Is in Control?

Other Scripture Verses Assuring That God Is in Control

Proverbs 21:1 “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” Joseph Benson wrote that the king’s “very inward purposes and inclinations, which seem to be most in a man’s own power, and out of the reach of all other beings; and much more his tongue, and hand, and all his outward actions […] are in the hand of the Lord — Subject to the influence, control, and government of the great Lord of all.”

Ephesians 4:1 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” God turns the heart towards or away from Himself. He gives the gift of faith to whomever He desires. Christians are freed from imagining we can somehow convert a person or prevent a person from coming to Christ.

Isaiah 14:24 “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ’Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.’”

Nothing will stop God from fulfilling His plans.

# Truths to Remember about God Being in Control Always

God has told us that He has plans to prosper and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). He took control of our salvation by sending Jesus, and determines whose hearts will be softened towards Him (Ephesians 4:1). God can defeat our enemies with trumpets (Joshua and the walls of Jericho), light (Gideon against the Midianites in Judges), and water (Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea in Exodus).

God is “holding [the Son of Perdition] back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6)

In other words, God even controls Satan. There is nothing to be afraid of in your life because, whatever trouble you face, God was in it before it started and will be with you through it to the end.

Yet, even when we know these things, we sometimes want to take control and try to make our lives easier. Paul wrote that “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (Romans 8:7)

Hostility and fear make peace and joy impossible. As he faced many enemies, aware that his life could end at the tip of a sword at any time, David refused to let fear steal his joy: “I will sing and make music to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:6)

Because God is in control, it is safe to drink at the oasis and to dance in the tent because our enemy cannot find us under the shadow of God’s protection.

 

A Prayer to Relinquish Control

A Prayer to Relinquish Control

Father, I have tried to control my life and even to control other people’s behavior to suit my purposes: forgive me. You are the King of my heart, one and only Sovereign, Lord of all. Thank you that I don’t have to be in control because YOU are. Thank you for perfect leadership, for your omniscient command of every situation, and for loving us while you hold all things together. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Trying to be in control just tires us out because it’s a futile exercise. The Lord is already in control, so let Him tell you what to do next. Pray, read scripture, and follow the example Christ left for us: perfect submission.

God’s will is going to become apparent if you pay attention, like the man in Matthew 7 who built his house on a rock. Even when it’s hard to follow, we know from Jesus’ resurrection that obedience to the one in total authority leads to eternal security and joy.

Article Credit: Candice Lucey Contributing Writer with Crosswalk.com

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages and ©Unsplash

Posted in Bible Journaling, Encouragements, memories, Miscellaneous, YouTube Videos

“Doing Good In A Hurting World”

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Broken, Heart, Love, Relationship

Good Morning Dear Friends,

I am writing this on a Friday morning and thinking about all the current news. I have also been working through all my emails and articles that are sent to me daily. Now when I say articles…I mean Christian articles/devotionals.

With that being said….I saw this title (article’s title) in several places. So it made me stop and think. I have recently been working through some things….as we all go through in life. After 5 years of emergencies, emergency rooms, ICUs, funerals, paperwork beyond belief and a very very messy (literally) home, 2 weddings, first grandbaby, etc. And now we have all kinds of new things in this world to deal with. WOW!!

For me the last 5+ years I have lived in a place of the squeakiest wheel gets the attention first….or the most medically or even financially critical. And all I could thinks was….soon I can get back to my life!! That was the carrot before the donkey for me!!

Hmmm….now that has that changed? Every day lately we wake up to hear the current medical scares (politcal scares, world issues) and look at…well honestly frightening maps of doom! WOW…what do we do?!!!

I don’t really have much to offer…but Jesus does. Jesus was the most incredible person literally on this earth. He is God’s son. He exampled how to love and how to help.

Now, I don’t know about you but I don’t have that special touch to heal those who are literally hurting….though I wish that could happen….and so do my knees!! 😉 But I can do a couple of things Jesus demonstrated. I can show love, compassion, mercy, faith, hope…

I can also go the the garden to pray. Our Lord created in our lives here on this earth a way to talk to the Lord!! We do not have to go through a priest, a book or even any special formula. We can just ‘talk’. Isn’t that great!!! I know it sounds simple….but it is true. Our prayer life is a special gift from the Lord.

When Jesus hung on the cross he literally paid the price or the penalty for our sins. In the old testament that meant an animal had to be sacrificed for atonement for sin. Then Jesus came to this earth and He chose to pay that price for our walk with the Lord. We just had to believe in Him. And literally as He hung on the cross…the veil was ripped in the temple. We no longer must go through the priest and we no longer have to offer a sacrifice!!! WOW!!!

So why do I bring that up now? Well, one of the greatest blessing we were afforded was…prayer. We have a direct line to God. I don’t know about you…I can’t imagine a day when I couldn’t talk to my Savior!!

As a homeschool Mom I remember how impacting the scripture of praying along the way each day impacted me. I also remember telling my children…it’s just talking to God. And finally, my last teaching was…Jesus is with you as you go to sleep each night waiting to talk with you before you sleep. And as soon as you wake up, He is sitting right there waiting to have a chat just with you!!

Though those teachings may sound childlike simplicity….it is true for all of us!! So when we are going through these difficulties…we need to pray. Just talk to Jesus!! He is waiting to chat each day…throughout the day!!

There is a wonderful song by Steven Curtis Chapman that was my son’s favorite song when he was little….Let us Pray. Here’s a couple of lines that stick with me…

“Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray”

1 Thess 5:17, Col 4:2, Eph 6:18, Heb 4:16, Rom 12:12

And also in this particular song…there is reference to how Jesus modeled for us to pray with “the Lord’s Prayer”.

Matthew 6:9-13

Image result for the lord's prayer

 

Let us…think about the things above and not on the things of this earth. (Col. 3:2)

I share this verse…to say…when we are overwhelmed with the thought of all that is going on in the world today….let us keep our thoughts on the Lord. When doing this we can better know ‘when, how & where’ He needs us to serve. We better know this through prayers…loving God (going to the garden to pray…as Jesus exampled) and loving others.

So finally, what does this look like in my life. I have been working so hard “to get all this done…so I could get back to my life”. Guess what, my life has forever changed these last 5+ years. So there is no way of going back. What I must do now, is focus on what is ahead of me. What the Lord’s will is in my life. And instead of mourning circumstances or what has been the cost of these last many years(& yes there have been blessings…amazing blessings)…it is time to move forward.

So some of the things I am working on:

1) Reclaiming my home!! PTL!!! (And fyi…this is not a one weekend venture.)

2) Focusing on the current work list and completing it and not dreaming of the what if’s.

3) Loving and caring for those in the here and now.

4) Saying no to what I should not be doing…even if there is push back. I cannot please everyone all the time.

5) Quit “trusting” those who are not trustworthy and expecting them to live up to what my standards are in life. (Proverbs tells us to walk with wise men….GREAT focus!!)

6) Taking time to develop healthy friendships/relationships as so many were lost over these busy years and just change of life…going from the world of homeschooling, well to not!!

7) Focus on my family…that truly paid the price with me in helping their family/grandparents final days, deaths and enormous work after. Taking the time for my Sweet Husband, children (&spouses) and our new first grandbaby. 🙂

8) Enjoy the journey I am in each day.

9) The most important of all….FOCUS on the Lord and His will in my entire life.

I know this is my list….maybe take a few minutes to write your own priority list. Then my Sweet Friends…let us pray, let us pray…every where and every day…it is the right time!! And let us do good in a hurting world…be that light for Christ!!!

Hugs and prayers…k 🙂

Posted in #FGTBJC2019, Bible Journaling, Bible Journaling Camp, Encouragements, Miscellaneous, YouTube Videos

When It’s Hard To Be Grateful On Thanksgiving

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When It’s Hard to be Grateful on Thanksgiving

Oct 25, 2017 by Kristin
Thanksgiving

It’s a story of sacrifice and survival; partnership and progress.

It was our country’s very first Thanksgiving.

Imagine the challenges the first settlers endured in 1620. They left everyone they knew and everything that was familiar. The Mayflower carried 102 voyagers across the Atlantic on a 66-day journey full of sickness and storms. That winter, nearly half of the voyagers died from disease and lack of shelter.

Yet, when the harvest season arrived, they set aside three full days to give thanks. In spite of the hardships, there was still much to be grateful for. They were alive. They were welcomed as strangers into a new land. The natives taught them how to grow their own crops. They had food to eat and friends to share it with. And…they had religious freedom, which is the very reason they came.

The settlers’ simple decision to be intentionally grateful led to centuries of Americans doing the same every November.

Let’s be real though. In some seasons of life, being grateful is just plain hard. We find ourselves overwhelmed with circumstances and underwhelmed with relationships. With preoccupied minds and aching hearts, it goes against our nature to give thanks anyway. But that’s exactly what the Lord asks of us.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

But…

How can we give thanks if we lost our job?

How can we give thanks if we’ve been diagnosed with a disease?

How can we give thanks if we can’t conceive?

How can we give thanks if our friend refuses to talk to us?

How can we give thanks if we are spending the holidays alone…again?

How can we give thanks if our marriage is falling apart?

How can we give thanks if our child is suffering?

How can we give thanks if we lost a loved one?

How can we give thanks if we don’t know what the future holds?

Because even though we are struggling, our God is still sacred.

In each difficult situation, our Creator gives us glimpses of hope in a sacred silver lining. It’s the place where God is working all things together for good. It’s where the hidden blessings are stored. They aren’t always easy to find, but they’re always there.

The secret to giving thanks in all circumstances is to find His sacred lining.

We will find His sacred lining when we give thanks for what we do have, instead of complaining about what we don’t have.
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 NLT

We will find His sacred lining when we give thanks for what is right instead of worrying about what is wrong.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

We will find His sacred lining when we give thanks for the process instead of grumbling about the problem.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 NLT

We will find His sacred lining when we give thanks to God first.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1 NIV

Before we gather around the table this year, gobbling up turkey and a slice of pumpkin pie, let’s be intentional about giving thanks no matter what. We can be personal about it by starting a gratitude journal, or we can share it with others in a prayer before dinner. Yes, circumstances can be challenging. Yes, relationships can be broken. But we serve a God who is for us, not against us. There is a holy gift waiting for us amidst the hardship. Let’s look hard for His sacred lining and give thanks to God when we find it, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day.


Know someone who is having a difficult holiday? Send them a handwritten greeting card, encouraging Ecard or check out our Difficult Times section to find just the right gift to lift their spirits this season.  

Posted in #FGTBJC2019, Bible Journaling Camp, Encouragements, Miscellaneous, YouTube Videos

Be Thankful People

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Be Thankful for People
This devotional was written by Robin Dugall

I thank my God every time I remember you. 
—Philippians 1:3 

Thanksgiving Sunday is here, and across our country, pastors are preaching sermons pointing out the need for Christ-followers to be thankful people. As a pastor, I’ve made impassioned pleas for Christ-followers to rise above our culture… to resist the temptation for the holiday season to be simply another opportunity for us to be self-focused and self-indulgent. Thanksgiving isn’t just about eating to the brink of explosion; shopping to the brink of bankruptcy; watching television to the brink of insanity. I’ve tried to make the point that Thanksgiving for a person who loves God can be so much more.

Even so, I discovered in my own life that despite what I’ve preached, I have missed a crucial element in the process of being a thankful follower of Jesus in my own life. I found that over the years I have been mostly thankful for the THINGS in my life; for food, finances, the house I have lived in, the clothes I have worn, and so on. While there’s nothing wrong with being thankful for these things, I have missed the boat on giving thanks for the biggest blessings of God in my life… PEOPLE.

Consider how empty, purposeless, and meaningless our lives would be without relationships. Relationships have shaped who we are and who we are becoming. Without exception, everyone I know has been positively influenced by other people. While it is easy to thank God for the THINGS in our lives, we should remember to be equally thankful for the PEOPLE God has placed in our lives as well!

Let me give you just one example. I am thankful for my Aunt Patty. She had suffered a brain injury when she was a small child severe enough that by the time I was born, she had become mentally disabled. But, when I was a child, she would play games and entertain me for hours. She loved me unconditionally. We would play The Beatles records and pretend to be Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was her love for music that infected my soul for the rest of my life. I thank God for her!

How about you? Who do you thank God for? Today, take a few moments and thank God for the relationships in your life. Truthfully, it can revolutionize your life. Happy Thanksgiving!

GOING DEEPER:

1. Make a list of the people who have shaped your life. Share the list with your friends and family.

2. How easy is it to just thank God for things in your life? How can you live a lifestyle of thankfulness more consistently?

FURTHER READING:

[Psalms 150; Philemon 1]

For more information and resources please visit HomeWord.com.

Posted in Encouragements, Miscellaneous, Occasions, organization

Weekly Verses…

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Monday
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
At many Christian funerals, the preacher emphasizes how Jesus has left to make a place ready for us to join him in heaven. Then he is going to come back for us. But just a few verses later, Jesus adds this promise. He’s telling us that until we can come be with him at his place, he will come live with us here in our hearts. It all hinges on one thing, our willingness to obey him. Not a bad deal, is it. So let’s not let obedience be a forgotten word in our lifestyle!
MY PRAYER…
Holy God, I know Jesus came to earth and obeyed your will. Give me discernment that my obedience will not simply be the obedience of your words, but will also be the obedience of your will. I long to honor you because you have done so much to save me. Thank you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Tuesday
We proclaim him [Jesus], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we present everyone perfect in Christ.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Our goal as Christians is not to obey some law, to adhere to some set of rules, or even be followers of some discipline. Our goal as Christians is to be conformed to the character and ministry of Jesus. This is the Spirit’s work in us (2 Cor. 3:18) and as Paul makes clear here and in other places (Galatians 4:19) that this is his goal in working with others.
MY PRAYER…
Holy Lord, conform my heart, my words, my life, my ministry, and my actions to those of Jesus. I want him to be my Lord, not just in my words but also in my life. Through him I pray. Amen.
Wednesday
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
We want the Spirit to be at work in us to make us like Jesus. For this to happen, we must open our heart to the will of God. There are no greater words God wants to hear than “teach me to do your will.” That is what it means for him to be God, to have control over our life and our will.
MY PRAYER…
Almighty God, I want you to truly be God in my life. I renounce any attempt on my part to try to manipulate or use your grace and kindness for my benefit. I submit my will to yours. But Holy Father, I confess that I struggle at times with my own selfish and evil desires that lead me astray. Please forgive me when my heart is cold and my ears are deaf to your will. Please, take control of my life today. Through Jesus my Lord, I ask you to assert your will as God in my life. Amen.
Thursday
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Worthy of respect! What a goal for our lives whether we are men or women! Don’t you want your life to reflect the character of God because our faith expresses itself in a life of self-control. This work of the Spirit in our lives happens only as we dedicate ourselves to being what he is at work trying to accomplish in us.
MY PRAYER…
Father, please strengthen me through your Spirit so that I may gain better control of my passions, my speech, my example, and my habits. Help me put to death the things that would rob me of my spiritual passion and my influence for good to those who do not know Jesus. Through whom I pray. Amen.
Friday
[The Lord says,] “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
God will not forget us when we’re in trouble or when we are old. We may outlive our friends and be forgotten by those who know us, but God will never leave us or forsake us. He will sustain, carry, protect, and rescue us.
MY PRAYER…
Thank you my Father, for promising to never forget me. Because of your faithfulness to your children of old, I know you will never forsake me. I trust that no matter where I am or where I go, you will go with me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Saturday
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Children don’t need to be taught, they need to be trained. Life is not about intellectual lessons, but about integrating truth into the fabric of our daily lives. God calls us to move our children and their training up on the list of our priorities.
MY PRAYER…
Great and Holy Counselor, help me as I seek to know the best thing to do with my children to share my love and your truth with them. I want them to know and love you even better than I do. Give me wisdom and courage to make wise decisions and tenderness to implement them in my family’s life. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Sunday
The earth is filled with your love, O Lord; teach me your decrees.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Sometimes we get so caught up in the wonders of God’s creation and the marvelous blessings of his grace we forget to ask him to teach us his truth.
MY PRAYER…
Holy and Precious Father, teach me your truth, lead me to your will, and guide me in your wisdom that my life may be a reflection of your plan for me when you made me new in my mother’s womb. In Jesus I ask these things. Amen.
Article Credit: Oneplace.com
Posted in Cardmaking, Creative Memories, decorative travel journal, Encouragements, file folder journal, Gallery, Journal, Journals, memories, memory keeping, Miscellaneous, Occasions, organization, Paper crafting, planning, Supplies, travel journal, YouTube Videos

FREE Scrapbooking Supplies?

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

Here is an amazing offer via Creative Memories for FREE SCRAPBOOKING supplies!!!

The Creative Memories scrapbooking supplies are the best!!!  This offer is unbelievable!!!

PLEASE take just a moment and read below!!!

If you are interested in becoming a Creative Memories Advisor, there is an amazing bonus for signing up right now as well!!! (See my website for this sign up offer.) This is the best time to sign up!! You can sign up as a hobbiest, as there are NO minimums!!! Many of us start out as hobbiest and then decide to make a business. Or you could start your own business…the decision is all yours!!!

On a personal note, Creative Memories home office and all the local Creative Memories advisors are the warmest most supportive friends…ever!!! I love my CM family and all the beautiful memories I am saving for my family!!! CM makes it all soooooo very easy!!! I complete beautiful pages in absolutely no time and I have a story to pass onto my children and one day my grandchildren!!

If you are interested in this great offer as a customer or a potential advisor, just contact me at: JosephinesDesigns.com@gmail.com. I am happy to help!!

Here is a link to my website as well: http://www.CreativeMemories.com/user/JosephinesDesigns.com

If you shop on my website and want to receive this wonderful offer..BE SURE to click on the Mystery Bag button to add to your cart!!! It’s amazing!!! Remember, there are 3 different bag with different sayings and many different colors of the albums. Both are the “luck of the draw” and you can see all the gorgeous papers included!! FUN!!!! None of us know which bag we will receive or what color album until we open our box when it’s delivered!! It’s like Christmas in July!!! Woo Hoo!!! 🙂 And you can place as many seperate orders for $150 in product to receive as many Mystery Bags as you like!!! (Until supplies run out.)

My first Mystery Bag comes in Friday and I am considering 2 more orders!!! 3 albums, 3 paper kits and 3 bags!!! Yeah!!! Love, love, LOVE my Creative memories!!! I will have one album for each of my children for Christmas!!!! Shhhhh don’t tell them!! 😉

Great big hugs and hoping this post helps you with you being able to save your family memories and saving money too!!

You can be the story teller of your family…for generations to come!!

Blessings and happy Scrapping,

k

PS…be sure to read all the way to the end of this post!! 🙂
GET YOUR MYSTERY BAG!

Available Until July 31 at noon CT or while supplies last

Now through July 31 (or while supplies last) you can get a FREE exclusive Mystery Canvas Bag, 12×12 Mystery Camera Album Cover and exclusive 12×12 Secret Garden Tone-on-Tone Paper Pack (12/pk) with your order of $150 or more!

My link to my website again… ; )

http://www.CreativeMemories.com/user/JosephinesDesigns.com

 

 

Posted in Encouragements, Journal, Journals, memories, Miscellaneous, Occasions

They Call Themselves Christians

Posted on by JosephinesDesigns.com

If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

II Timothy 2:12 NKJV

Soldiers in the Roman army identified themselves with their generals by adding the suffix -ian at the end of the general’s name. Therefore, a Caesarian soldier would be a solider serving under Caesar. In Latin, the word ian means “the party of.” In the early church in Antioch, people began to call followers of Christ Christians, though the use of the name was likely said at first in the spirit of mockery. However, the name stuck and soon believers also began to call themselves Christians, happily adding the suffix to the end of Christ’s name to indicate that they were with Jesus. Early Christians joyfully sent a message to the world that they were followers of Christ, though the message cost many of them their lives. A believer’s life begins at the altar where we surrender our nothing for everything, and sometimes ends on another altar, where believers are forced to decide whether to sacrifice everything for nothing. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” (Joshua 24:15 KJV).

FAITH CHECK

If you knew that openly announcing to the world that you are a Christian would cost you your job, your standing in the community, or your very life, would you call yourself a Christian?

Article Credit: Linda Kozar by way of Dayspring.com

Hello Dear Friends,

Such great encouragement this day!!

Prayers,

k