Love . Love . Love

This is how God showed his love among us: 

He sent his one and only Son into the world 

that we might live through him.

 1 John 4:9

If you'd ask people to offer a definition of love, you'd get as many different answers as the number of people you asked.  Most would connect love with a feeling or a commitment one makes to another person.  Any definition of love that does not emanate from the person of God is not a real, lasting love. God IS love (1 John 4:8).  Without the presence of His love, there would be no love among us at all. Man has distorted all that is good about love, and those of us who know God grieve over the deception about love in our culture today.  I believe that's why it's so important to gain an accurate perception of what true love-- God's love for us and the believer's love for others--really is. We have to read the whole counsel of God's Word to glimpse His enormous love for His own.  Even taking snippets from scripture gives us an incomplete picture of His love.  I would challenge each of you to find a reading plan that works for you and commit to reading the Bible through this year.  It will be one of the most meaningful and most productive uses of your time!

For my SNSS design projects this week, I decided to focus on God's love and how that love is to be reflected by His children.  I also wanted to have some fun with the digital stamps offered at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  I wanted to remind you of how versatile digital stamps can be when doing Bible journaling.  So I have a few different pages to show you today.

One of the best features of a digital stamp is its versatility.  You can easily resize, rotate and flip a digital image.  For Bible journaling this is invaluable.  Had I needed to, I could have flipped the puppy image here to have it facing inward on the opposite page in my Bible.  And I can always insure that digital images will fit my margin perfectly because they are so easy to resize.

It's sobering to consider the command Jesus gives us that we are to love one another as He loved us.  His love is incomprehensibly big!  My husband and I often laugh about our dog's love, how she loves so unconditionally, so completely and how she never tires of welcoming us when we come home, even if we are only gone for 15 minutes!  People know so much about us by the way we love others. When we see others through the eyes of God, we too can love without reservation.

For my puppy love page, I simply printed the digital stamp image, laid the paper behind my Bible page and traced it in pencil first, then outlined it and colored in with Copic markers.  I could have printed it, colored it, cut it out and affixed it to the margin as well.  I also did my hand-lettering in pencil first, then wrote over it with marker, and erased the pencil afterwards. 

I fell in love with this little birdie the minute I saw him.  One of my favorite verses of Scripture comes from 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us." Without God's love in our hearts it's impossible to love others in the purest sense.  We are only capable of that kind of love it we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

I also printed out this digi stamp and traced it onto the margin in my Bible.  I sponged the hearts using a heart stencil, and did hand lettering (still practicing...ugh...that's the hardest part of journaling for me).  The leaves are from Words of Life: Collection 2 (stamped on) and everything in the margin is colored with Copic markers. The LOVE comes from the clear stamp set, Give Praise.

For my final December entry, I used the digital stamp, Cocoa Sends Love, and here, I reversed the image and traced.  I used PrismaColor pencil for color and sponged the clouds with ink/stencil.  The hearts are stamped (How Tweet, SNSS).

Really, isn't little Cocoa one of the sweetest images ever?  I hope you'll try out some of the digital stamps at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps because they are so perfect for Bible journaling.  Rebecca Rios has created several for that specific purpose and I'll be showcasing one of those in January, but you can check those out HERE.

Here are the digital stamps used for today's projects, but if you go to the SNSS digital page with all the digi Valentine's sets, you will definitely drool...and probably start filling your cart!! May I add here too, that another helpful feature of digital images is their affordable price.  They are very inexpensive!

Daydream Designs BLOG HOP: Day 4 (FREE DIGI STAMPS)

Join the Fun--DAY 4

TODAY AND TOMORROW!

Welcome to the Daydream Designs BLOG HOP!  If you are just joining us, hop right in.  But you may want to check out previous posts by our designers.  Some of them are posting new samples each day of the hop.  We have tons of inspiration for you and lots of FREEBIES and giveaways.  You will visit 10 Dream Team designers’ blogs.  Follow the linked list below to move through the blog hop in order, so you don’t miss one.  

**Three winners will win their choice of 

THREE FREE SETS**

 from our Daydream Designs Store.  

If we have lots of players, more winners will be selected.

(Excludes KD-Kits)

**One winner will win this BIG BLOG CANDY**

click on image to enlarge

Blog Candy Contents: 

• Cardstock:  2-12x12 toast textured, 3-12x12 pink textured, 3 sheets each of 8-1/2 x 11 in Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Strawberry Slush.  (8 sheets total)
• Patterned Paper: TWO 12 x 12 sheets EACH in light floral, bright floral, stripe, and heart print.  (8 sheets total)
• Embellishments: 7 yds. total in wrinkle ribbon: pink blush, sand, caramel (hand-dyed by Diane Noble), 5 doilies, assorted prima flowers (as shown), assorted round and heart shaped buttons as shown, bird cage with pendant, rhinestone swirls, pink glass pearls, 30+ stickers
• 3-D alterable items: 1 set of bracket covers for a mini album, one boxed fold out album to decorate.  (See more pictures at the end of this blog post) 

**EVERYONE WINS!**

BLOG HOP FREEBIES HAVE EXPIRED.

  

sheet from Sweet Warm Ups Digi Paper Set
 

Collect FREE DIGIS as you go!  There will be a free digi waiting on each designer’s blog!  Here's the one for this blog (Day 3 only).  See Day 1 and 2 for a different Freebie.  Just copy and paste to your files.

To qualify:

1.      Visit every blog on the list.
2.      Leave a comment saying you were here.  Leave additional comments on subsequent days for more chances to win.
3.      For an extra chance to win, subscribe to our newsletter (Diane’s blog, first stop on the hop.  If you are already subscribed just tell me and I'll add another chance for you).
4.      When you get to the last blog on the list, Jerusha’s blog, you will have the choice to end the hop or continue to Deedee Anderson’s blog to start another round with her team for more prizes and Freebies!  Let’s get started!
 

Diane  (you are here...see inspiration samples below)

Elizabeth

Gail

Gemiel

Helen

Jill

Karen

MariLynn

Miesje

Jerusha 

Deedee Anderson (optional to continue to her one-stop-blog-hop for additional prizes and inspiration) 

MY SAMPLES FOR DAY 4

I'm especially excited about my post for today's BLOG HOP sample.  The image comes from our newest Daydream Designer artist/illustrator, Katlyn Traxler.  She has some of the cutest images ever, available at KnK Designs, and I wanted to showcase her and this set before the blog hop was over.  I fell in love with this set immediately.  Cute little Kolar, an inspiration from her own sweet dog, reminds me of my Daisy so this one just stole my heart. 

 Daisy opening her Christmas present

I used one of the patterned papers from Sweet Warm Ups Digi Paper set by Daydream Designs.  The other layers are cardstock: Strawberry Slush, Blushing Bride from Stampin' Up and the white layer and oval frame are from Curious Metallic Cryogen White cardstock from CutCardStock.com.  Love the shimmery glitz of it.  I just added a few more embellishments to finish this fun-loving card.  

 This is a card designed by Katlyn using the same set.  The doggie takes on a totally different look with different colors.  I think she used colored pencils here, and I just love the homespun touch of the stitching.  Adorable, Katlyn.  Your images just make me melt!

YOUR NEXT STOP:  Warm Hearted, 

and Elizabeth's adorable creations.   

Word Art Wednesday: Happiness

Happiness.  Webster's Dictionary defines the word as "the state of being happy" or "an experience that makes you happy."  Poor definitions.  I was always taught not to define a word using the same word! An online dictionary adds:  1) good fortune, prosperity 2) the state of well-being, contentment. 

I've seen many people who attain fortune and prosperity but are far from happy people.  One doesn't have to be a etymologist to know the definitions of happiness above fall far short of grasping the true essence of happiness.  Our challenge verse at Word Art Wednesday this week is one of many in the Bible that captures the real source of deep happiness.

My DT Sample:

When God is our God, when our hope lies in Him for who He is, we are happy.  The world may be falling apart....OUR world may be falling apart, but if we place our hope, our trust, our faith in the Sovereign of the Universe, the God of Jacob, of Abraham...we can find true happiness.  That fact rests in our position as believers. We exist is a state of well being, much like the old hymn's refrain, "It is well, it is well with my soul."  When it is well with our soul we can be content, and to be content is to be happy.   Without Christ, our soul is at war with God, and there is no true happiness.  Once we surrender to Christ, He complete us, fills us, sustains us, empowers us, and preserves us for our home in eternity with Him.  He is our joy. 

I've known so many Christians who are really struggling with unusual challenges, or experience a season of trouble and turmoil.  Yet I see those same believers radiating joy in the midst of it all.  So self-help principles or positive thinking can dig us out of the mire of some of our most heart-wretching circumstances.  Note the message of the verse...happiness comes when we turn to God for help.  If we turn to worldly pursuits of pleasure, or mind-numbing coping skills, we will completely miss the joy that God has waiting for us.  I love the simple lyrics of another song by Chris Rice...

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for Love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain...so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk, sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain...then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can'’t contain your joy inside...then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on glory’s side...and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Don't these words provide a perfect picture of what it is like to place our confidence in Jesus...through weakness and pain, struggles and hardships, love and laughter, life and death? Through it all, we find our joy in Jesus!

My sample showcases digi paper from Ticket to Bliss Digi Paper, and the frame is from Sending You Love Accessories.  I hope you'll join us for our Daydream Designs BLOG HOP that starts today too.  Our theme is Love/Hearts/Valentines...so this card is yet another inspiration for our theme.  

I hope you'll use the encouragement of this post to turn to Jesus.  And I hope my sample provides some inspiration for you to join us this week at Word Art Wednesday.  Our other design team members have some wonderful samples to share and Karen will share her wisdom about this verse too.  It will be a blessing to have you there. 

  Thank you for blessing my day!

Diane