Word Art Wednesday: Edify One Another (FREE DIGI STAMPS)

Welcome to Word Art Wednesday, the challenge to share your artful encouragement to others.  See our challenge blog for details here.

How many times in the course of a day do you think you have an opportunity to encourage or edify someone?  I'm certain I have at least half a dozen a day or more.  My opportunities begin when I first wake and see my husband.  God grants me the opportunity, the blessing of encouraging my husband as he prepares to leave for a full day of very taxing work.  I almost always have daily phone conversations with my mother and sister.  I talk to my sons and their wives every day or at least several times a week.  My most frequent and greatest opportunities are with those I hold most dear.

I've also been granted by God a deep desire to pray for others.  It is such a privilege and a blessing to me, because first, it always takes me to the throne room of God.  I'm closer to Him when in prayer.  Through the years people I don't know, or only know online, who don't know me that well, have written private messages to ask me to pray.  I guess through my writing they know how much I love it.  So a second blessing is the bond it creates with other believers.  If my prayers can encourage or edify others then I'm am truly blessed.

When I designed a digi set for St. Patrick's day, I wanted to focus on God's blessings, on His providence.  Even though a wee bit of Irish runs through my veins, I don't believe in luck or coincidence.  I believe in a sovereign God and His providential hand in all matters of life.  Our world can make many skeptical about the sovereignty of God.  Many people stand aghast at the rampant evil in our times.  I don't understand why evil appears to have free reign at times, but I know ultimately God is in charge, and He will make everything right someday.

In the meanwhile, one of the most precious gifts He leaves His children is the power of intercessory prayer.  In the midst of prayer we will find peace.  I will always ask God to grant peace to the people for whom I'm praying.  Peace comes when we surrender all control over a situation and turn it over to God.  We can speak encouragement to another to edify them (build them up in their faith), but I know of no better way to edify another than to lift them in prayer.

My sample for this week's challenge reflects the color of Ireland.  I remember my trip there as if it were yesterday, although it's now been 3 years.  The colors of Ireland are amazing.  There are triple the number of greens over our Missouri landscape.  And the waters shimmer with a full spectrum of blues.

 Tintern Abbey near Wexford, Ireland

Even on gray and cloudy days, the landscape is vibrant. 

Dingle Peninsula, my favorite of our trip.

When I view just these three pictures, they all elicit peace...a quiet, earthy, God-is-still-sovereign peace.  When the world spills out its violence and turmoil, we need to know there are places like this, and we can go there even if only in our minds.  God made this world, and one day it will be made new.  

As soon as we returned from our trip, my mother started this hand-quilted treasure for my younger son who went with us to Ireland.  You can see how the colors were inspired by the amazing hues from Ireland. 

My little sets in the Irish Blessings ensemble were designed as my own little memento from the trip.  I think they are most fun, and hopefully will truly bless the crafter and the recipient of the craft alike.  

I recolored the sentiment to a compatible green shade, and shadowed it slightly since the original font is thin.  That gave a bit more weight to it.  

 I just pray God will prompt me often, day by day and moment by moment to edify everyone with whom I come in contact, beginning with those who greet the day with me each morning.  And for those of you who have persevered to the end of this...if I have said I would pray for you....I have.  I do it because I love to pray, and I do it because in Christ I already love you too.  

I hope you'll head to our challenge blog at Word Art Wednesday to be blessed by the other DT artists and by the wonderful devotion by our lovely Karen Letchworth.  

*******************

Sets Used:

Irish Blessings Color Set

14 color images / JPEG and PNG / 300 ppi

$4.00

Irish Blessings SUPER Digi Paper Pack

 22 sheets (14 prints and 8 matching solids)

12 x 12 / JPEG only / 300 ppi

$4.00

Compatible Sets Available: (Click to enlarge.)

 Irish Blessings Sentiment Set

27 images or sentiments / JPEG and PNG/ 300ppi

(some images/sentiments are not shown)

$4.00

Irish Blessings Outline Set

11 images / JPEG and PNG (transparent and white-filled)

$3.00

May you be blessed by praying for others, 

by the encouragement you give

and by the prayers and encouragement 

others offer on your behalf!

Diane