In Grace We Stand

Romans 5:1-2 is one of those brief passages that I've read many, many times but one small treasure gleamed and caught my eye on another reading.  I've just focused on other parts of the verse. But look at this..."Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

What struck me this time was the essence of grace in the life of the believer.  Grace isn't just something God dispenses as we repent.  We STAND IN GRACE.  Grace is a position we hold as a child of God.  Grace will not be withheld from the believer.  We are IN it...forever.  That is why His grace is sufficient.  His grace has covered everything necessary for our salvation.  I saw this as such a powerful part of the verse.  In grace we can stand and seize all God's treasures--life with Him forever, peace now in life and with God.  We don't have to come begging like a pauper.  We are already completely covered by His grace and that gives us the power to stand as victors!  I love it when Bible/Art journaling offers those beautiful moments when scripture comes alive all over again.

 

This is how my page started. I used my new jars of Distress Paints.  Oh, my! They are like melted butter.  LOVE them.  Then I did a little stenciling to add some texture.  Then I got out my Sweet 'n Sassy stash to see what I could find to help me share this amazing passage of scripture.

The verse is expressed in both stamped words/letters and hand-lettering.  All the stamps I used are listed below.

 I had a blast going back to some of my mixed media techiques to do this girl.  She is all from cut papers.  I didn't sketch it out...just started cutting so I'd get this totally casual artsy look to her.  Her hair is painted as is some of the light shading on her skin.  I used a Prisma pen to outline her last. The papers for her clothes are some from my stash.  Her flowers are stamped on painted paper then cut out.  The white outlining is the white sharpie paint pen also available through SNSS.

I can remember my preacher-daddy being so incredulous that people would actually resist God's grace.  My whole family soaked it up like a sponge and often needed more.  We caught a glimpse of how needy we were, how lost--were it not for grace. When we say "YES" to His amazing grace, we are at peace with God, reconciled and secure.  And that fact gives us peace in the here and now.

I hope this little nugget in scripture has given you a fresh look at grace and I hope my mixed media antics will give you some fun inspiration to try in your own art journals or Bibles.

Stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps:

• All of Me Alpha (stand)
• Amazing God (amazing)
• Choose Faith (grace)
• He is Worthy-(yellow flowers)
• Message of Hope (forever, live in His peace, and forever. 
• Note This (say yes to, right where He wants me, ampersand) 
• Seek Him (corner designs, arrows, small hearts)

 All of Me Alpha and Amazing God

 Choose Faith

 Message of Hope, He is Worthy, and Note This

 Seek Him

The Name Above Every Name

I used to teach a Bible study I developed called "Journey through the Bible."  I taught it for several years when I was on church staff where my husband was pastor at the time.  The class was a study of the entire Bible--we read every word! The time I spent studying and preparing for our journey was an amazing time in God's Word.  I would come to each teaching session so inspired and so excited to share something new and amazing I'd found.  Participants in the class often laughed at my enthusiasm over so many FAVORITE passages of Scripture.  I came to the conclusion you just simply can't fragment the Bible. It is a cohesive whole.  You can always connect dots and that just excites me. 

The verse I chose to illustrate for my Creative Worship team submission is from Philippians (my husband happens to be preaching through it now!). It connects to two other amazing passages. Read this verse, Philippians 2:9-11, then John 18:5-6 (note too that when he answers the question asked, he actually responds, "I am." The "He" has been translated into the text). Finally read Revelation 19:12.  The name of Jesus.  It is powerful enough to bring everyone to their knees!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

There is no other name with that kind of power.  The soldiers couldn't stand in the Garden of Gethsemane; they fell to their knees.  Can you just picture that powerful moment?  Jesus answers, "I am" and everyone drops, even the unbelievers.  And in Revelation we find that He will be given a new name.  No one knows it now but when he speaks it, the force will be like a blast from a furnace.

There are only a few words I hand lettered.  The rest of the words are from either His Name--a soon to be released set--or All of Me Alpha (NAME) from Sweet 'n Sassy stamps. 

I used gelatos for the first time on this page.  Yes, I need more!  I LOVE them.  You can get an amazing watercolor splash, and they don't wrinkle your page as much as watercolor paints. Nor do they bleed at all. I even did some finger painting with them.  I colored directly to the page and rubbed it around to distribute the color.  I used a micron pen to outline and accent the words, and SU inks to stamps all the words. 

His Name

Coming Soon! Don't you LOVE it.  Don't you NEED it?

All of Me Alpha