Prince of Peace

And he [Jesus] will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 

In kingdom rule, the Prince is granted authority as designated by the king.  This passage reflects the granting of authority to Christ, the awaited Messiah.  The initial part of the passage gives greater insight on the authority Jesus is given, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders."  Christ carries all governments.  No plan forged by earthly leaders will foil the plan that God has for this world.  God is sovereign above all earthly authority.  Knowing that God is in charge and all will happen as He wills gives me great comfort.  

One of the most amazing areas of Christ's authority is over the realm of PEACE.  It is Christ who grants peace.  Think of when he calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee. He evoked his power and authority over chaos; He had the power to declare peace over the raging waves (Mark 4:39).  He had that authority as the Prince of Peace.  

As we look at our world in turmoil, we see the tempest of the enemy raging. We need not fear.  God is sovereign and the Prince of Peace is still in control.  Our responsibility is to trust and serve Him until he brings an end to the storms we see in our world.  With the same authority, Christ can declare peace over the storms in your own life.  If you are tossed about by a sea of doubt, fear and trouble, the Prince of Peace is near to you.  You have only to call upon Him and he will either quiet the storms that assail you or He will quiet your spirit and reassure you that He is with you through the storm. 

I used two stamp sets to design this simple page, Christmas Botanicals and Peace on Earth, both Krista Hamrick sets, available at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.   Everything is colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

 Peace on Earth                      Christmas Botanicals

Give Thanks to Him!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 100)

May you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day! Before your celebrations and family fellowship...feast on these words from God's heart!

I used stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps for the margin wording, PrismaColor pencils and Stampin' Up! inks to color the page and added Washi tape to accent.

 

Stamps Used:

 

 

All My Heart, Skinny Uppercase Alpha, Sing Loud.

Why I Sing for Joy!

"...my mouth will praise you with joyful lips

when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.  

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:5-8

Think back to something God has done...something that would not have happened had it not been for his intervention, guidance, presence or power.  We can name many instances, can we not?  Psalm 63 is one of my favorite, and there are actually several portions of it that could be highlighted.  It is so rich! But I've chosen these verses for the joy they bring as I meditate upon them remembering God's goodness and many, many mercies toward me.  

What a wonderful place to abide...in the shadow of God's wings...under his protective and watchful eye, close to his heart.  That alone is great reason to be joyful.  As believers we are blessed with this close position to God through his grace alone.  He has invited us to be in relationship and the benefits of that relationship are like no other.  No doubt we can recount story after story of when he was our help.  Once we trust in God's son, Jesus, we desire a close, abiding relationship...we literally CLING to Jesus.  

During many nights I could feel his right hand holding me close, holding me tightly, reassuring...steady...strong.  Who wouldn't cling to that, right?  God often wakes me in the "watches of the night" to pray for someone, to commune with him, to search his Word for wisdom and help.  I feel especially close to him at night.  I know he watches over me, protects me, and prepares the day in front of me so I will see him working on my behalf. 

One of the many reasons I sing for joy, is that I know my God defends me, fights for me.  I know there have been numerous times the enemy would creep into my night seeking to frighten, discourage, and bring despair.  But God fought for me.  There have been times in my life when people...people whose hearts were bent toward evil and destruction came against me.  I LOVE the passage in Psalm 64 on the facing page.  Here David describes enemies coming against him, setting traps of ambush, shooting arrows with bitter lies and destructive words.  I've known people like this.  Being in full-time ministry places you in enemy territory many times.  People will gnash their teeth against those proclaiming the gospel and reaching the lost for Christ.  My husband, a pastor, and I have experienced warfare many times.  But God has come to our defense in every single instance.  We see him dealing with those who come against us.  We don't have to do a thing but trust in him.  What a cause for joy!  

I pray that you find shelter under the wing of the Most High God, that you find many reasons to remember and celebrate with joy the times he has come to your aid, upheld you with his right hand.  Knowing he has been there for us, faithfully providing and protecting, gives us full assurance he will ALWAYS be there for us.  And that indeed is a reason to sing for joy!

Sets Used: 

His Wings

       

                                          His Name                                     Note This

Our Inheritance

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

According to his great mercy, 

he has caused us to be born again 

to a living hope 

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, 

kept in heaven for you.

 1 Peter 1:3-4

We can face all of our todays when we know what our tomorrows hold.  We can strive with our momentary problems when we know a prize worth the struggle awaits us.  We can live this life with a certain, unyielding hope because we know God has prepared an inheritance for us that makes this life worth the effort, worth the reach, worth the living.  Through the mercy of God, exhibited in the in sacrifice of His Son Jesus, we have been given something that is beyond measure, is of indescribable worth, and is very real...certain, in fact.  We are given a new birth into a living hope, a birth that makes us a child of God, of the eternal King.  And as God's child we are promised an inheritance.  His final will has not been unopened, so we don't know all that He has waiting for us, but we know it is good.  We know it can never perish, spoil or fade.

This Bible-journaling page is personally meaningful to me in so many ways.  What amazing promises lie within these two verses of scripture.  It's everything...it's gives glory to God as our Father, to Christ as our Savior and to the Spirit as the one who fills us with the undeniable and certain hope of heaven.  We are promised by God, who will not change and cannot lie, that we will receive the inheritance He has designed personally for each and every believer. 

God's Word is true and we can absolutely trust and depend on what it says to us.  God has a treasure chest full of unspeakable joy and glory waiting with our names engraved upon the lock.  He holds the key and will give it to us when we meet Him face to face.  I just get teary-eyed and thrill-shivery just thinking about what my treasure might hold!

Of course there will be a crown.  

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 

which the Lord, the righteous judge, 

will award to me on that day, 

and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8

But I think I'll be casting my crown at the foot of the throne along with the twenty-four elders, for He is worthy of all our crowns!  There will be a never ending bounty lavished upon me as my inheritance.  

And I will enjoy the waves of His blessings forever...no end.  Each gift will be sparkly and new and will never lose its luster. My joy will be complete and will rise in songs of glory for the God who is and will be forevermore.  Even singing His praises will be a gift...one of the many jewels in my treasure chest.  

Whatever this life holds I know I can rejoice in it because each trial, each heartbreak, every step along my journey, both sorrows and joys, takes me closer and closer to my Joy, my Jesus, my heavenly Father and my inheritance.  The older I get, the more real it is.  I can almost taste it, smell it, the glory of the thought along makes me squint from the sheer brightness. It will be....divine!

 

 Sweet 'n Sassy stamp sets I used:

 Scribble Flowers

 Child of the King

 Fantastic Flowers

 Mini Grunge Alpha

Worthy to be Praised!

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 

my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, 

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, 

my stronghold and my refuge, my savior, 

you save me from violence. 

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised... 

(2 Samuel 22:2-4)

We praise God because He is worthy to be praised! When the earth seems to crumble beneath our feet, He is our Rock. When we need a place of safety and peace, He is our fortress, our defender, a shield around us. When we need to be rescued, He is our Savior. When we consider His works and His character, we are left amazed and our lips can do nothing less than praise Him. 

God never fails to respond to our call. His presence and power in our lives are constants in which we can completely trust. He is never too busy, never disinterested, never too distant to hear our call to Him. He is worthy of our praise. What are some of the ways you praise Him?

Page: Background color is blended chalks, sprayed with fixative. Most of the margin words and the flowers are stamped (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Rebecca Script Alpha, He is Worthy, His Wings, Words of Life: Collections 1 and 2, and Long-Stemmed Silhouettes).

To Know Him is to Trust Him

Those who know your name trust in you,    
 for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:10

When we have moments of trust-failure it's because we have a temporary lapse in remembering who God is.  When we embrace the character of God, the believer's natural response has to be trust.  Think of the words that describe His character as being completely trustworthy.  What words would you choose?  My word would be faithful.  God has proven Himself faithful to me time and time again.  In fact, He has never been unfaithful to me so why would I not trust Him?  I look back over my life and I know beyond any shadow of doubt that God has been there for me.  And I trust that He will always hold me in His hand, near to His heart.  I know my God and I know I can trust Him. 

  

Usually I design Bible pages by going from scripture to design.  This time I was sorting through my stash of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and came across the set, Seek Him.  I've used it several times before but this time as I considered it the words "know" and "trust" stood out and it didn't take much of a leap from there.  To know Him is to trust Him.  That is a powerfully true statement.  So I went on a scripture search to see if I could find something that said the same thing.  Psalm 9:10 is perfect, "Those who know your name trust in you for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."  And, there is the faithful part in there too!  God will not forsake those who trust Him.  That truth is definitely worth some worship time and some art in my Bible!

I started with the words in the margin and added some hand-drawn birds for decoration.  The flowers here reflect those on the facing page, all from the Scribble Flowers stamp set. The flowers are stamped directly to the page and colored with watercolor paints (Kuretake-36 color set).  The words and birds were colored with Copic markers.

For the right side of the page I added some washi tape to anchor more flowers.  These were stamped on regular computer paper, and painted with the watercolor paints.  Then I cut out the flowers and adhered the centers of the flowers to the page.  The edges lift slightly to add some dimension to the page.  

The sets I used: 

 

 Seek Him by Rebecca Rios

Scribble Flowers by Korin Sutherland

That You May Have Life!

...but these have been written so that you may believe

 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;

 and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 20:31

What is your ultimate travel experience-- European vacation, cruise, Disneyland? Mine was Ireland.

Even now when I picture heaven some of the landscapes from Ireland come to mind.

I could use thousands of words to try to describe it to you, but if you haven't been there...well, you just haven't been there. You'd have to experience it for yourself to grasp its breathtaking beauty.

Life in Christ is the same. God has written thousands of words to describe himself, his love for us, what he's done through Christ and what he has prepared for those who believe in his Son. But until we experience Christ, they remain just words.

 
In this passage, John 20, verse 31, we see the purpose of all scripture...that we might believe Jesus is who he said and that by believing in him, trusting him with your heart, soul, life and eternity...you can have life...REALLY live for now and for all eternity. This one verse of scripture is so powerful that I had to capture it with my art-journaling.

Images are stamped with Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and colored with watercolor paints. I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink to antique the edges of the page.

 Peaceful Peonies

 

Just Worshipping God

This will be a quick and simple post, but nonetheless heartfelt.  When I did this art-journaling in my Bible I was spending more time with God in private than I was with my artwork that would be more public.  I just needed this instruction and time of praise and worship with my God.  The tools to accomplish the artwork was just an extra delight.

Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name. 

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; 

   I will glorify your name forever. 

 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

One of the quickest antidotes for times when I fear, I'm stressed, I'm downtrodden is simply to remember all the ways God has blessed me, protected me and provided for me.  When I praise Him with all my heart, there isn't room for doubt and fear.   That is why I can always find words of praise on my lips, the joy to glorify His name, the knowledge of my need for constant prayer, the certainty of my hope because all of it rests with God.  Because of who God has proven Himself to me again and again I will ALWAYS believe Him first, most and last!

I used the set, Words of Life: Actions from Sweet 'n Sassy stamps, Spica glitter pens for the hand-lettering, watercolor paints to highlight Scripture and Stampin' Up! inks for stamped images. 

He Calls Us by Name...We Are His!

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 

When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze. 

For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3

The more unstable our world becomes, the more we need the promises of God to anchor us.  If we are redeemed believers, we will not be overcome by the wickedness of this world.  Even those who come against believers to take our lives will not be victors.  We hold the key to heaven and our eternal destiny is secure.  That enables us to live with joy for today.  

God is sufficient for any need we have, any crisis through which we walk, any heartache that threatens to break us. When we are feeling overwhelmed, overlooked or over stressed, God is with us and for us. In this life we will see trouble and tragedy, but we have a God who is greater, more powerful than our difficulties; we will not be destroyed by any power of this world. We are securely held in the hand of a God who loves us, who has called us by name, and who claims us as His very own. Rest in that truth today, precious believer.

I went back to watercolor painting for this Bible journaling page. Margin word art is created with stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I used PrismaColor pencils to color in the words and accented the water with a white Sharpie paint pen.

I love the fluid transparency and blendability of watercolor paints. The blending and color saturation is unpredictable, but that makes every creation a bit of a surprise.  And as always, I usually run to my stash of Sweet 'n Sassy stamps for my Bible Art-Journaling creations. 

 Perfect Faith                                  My Friend