Light & Darkness

Waking up this morning, I already knew the latest news thanks to WH who whispered it in my ear as he went to work early this morning. It wasn’t good.

I choose this morning to start my day with my Advent reading for the day, no TV, no News feeds, just GODs Word. I knew I would find comfort there. This morning my Advent reading was from 1 John.

We write this to make our joy complete.

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: GOD is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood and JESUS, His Son, purifies us from all sin ~ 1John1:4-7

At first I didn’t know what to think, what to take away from this reading. Other than the message I had been receiving time and time again while doing this Advent study, that GODs light shines in my life and doesn’t let the evil one with his negative self talk have a place to dwell in me anymore.

Which is for me a great way to end a tough couple of years as I have battled negative self talk and the resulting anxiety. But as I sat and did some journaling (pictures to come when I do my weekly round-up), then went along with the rest of my day, I realised that darkness and evil tried to take hold of this country over the last 24hrs.

Fear and unknown tried to sweep across the nation & change people. The events of the last 24hrs have certainly changed people, changed me.

Darkness isn’t a thing it is a lack of something, light.

GOD is light

With GOD in my life, darkness doesn’t have a place. Fear of the darkness doesn’t exist.

In GOD I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? ~Psalm56:11

Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path ~Psalm119:105

Instead of focusing on what someone tried to do I’m going to continue to turn to GOD and focus on what He did do for me and the whole world. Send His Son to die on the cross so that I can be forgiven and purified of my sins & have a relationship with my Heavenly Father in which His light dwells inside of me.

Pray that those of you who are also reading the bible through advent are enjoying your journeys.

Illustrated Faith: Advent Week 1

I have soooo been enjoying doing advent this way this year.

Check out my previous post here to learn exactly what I’m talking about.

Today I thought I would share what the rest of the first week of Advent looked like, check out the first 2 days here.

Advent Day 3 – John 1:9-12

Advent day three was a reminder of what it truly means to have CHRIST in my life. It means that I have the light of salvation & hope inside of me, and ultimately because of my belief & faith in JESUS CHRIST I can have the right and privileged to be called ‘A Child Of GOD’.

Being a child of GOD really stuck with me after reading the verse, it is a powerful statement. And an insight into my future in Heaven. This for me is the true gift of Christmas, the reason JESUS came to this earth, to free me of the bounds of my own sin so that I can be called ;A Child of GOD’.

Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of GOD ~ John 1:12

I have been truly enjoying getting back to just lettering and coloured pencil, I found this illustration online and copied it into my bible. I really like the doodling around the words and the different types of fonts.

Advent Day 4: Jeremiah 33:14-15

Day four was a reminder that JESUS was the fulfilment of a promise that GOD made to the people of Israel & Judah. And that when GOD makes a promise He keeps it! But in His own perfect timing and in His own way.

JESUS was and is the promised sprout from the line of King David.

‘The days are coming’, declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s line; He will do what is just and right in the land ~ Jeremiah 33:14-15

Some times when I’m reading an image just pops into my head and it just sticks with me. The branch was an image I couldn’t shake with this verse, adding the words of truth about JESUS’ lineage around the branch. I did an image search to find a simple branch to draw.

Advent Day 5: Isaiah 60:19-20

Day five (FRIDAY!!!) I love the imagery of this verse that one day GODs glory will shine so brightly through out the world that we will no longer need the sun, moon or lamps. I can’t wait!

Also a reminder that JESUS is the light of the world (John 8:12) and His light is inside of me because I choose to believe in Him & have given my whole self over to Him. And that light shines into the darkest parts of myself, not allowing darkness, sin & evil a place dwell.

I have learned to live that truth this year as I have battled the evil ones hold over my internal self talk.

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and GOD will be your glory ~ Isaiah 60:19

Really like the font on the word ‘everlasting’ art deco style. Something nice about the simplicity of words & coloured pencil, lets the message really speak for itself to me.

Advent Day 6: Romans 15:12-13

Day six. I really struggle on the weekends with prioritising time with GOD, but having advent to do gave me more of a push to just take the time out with GOD. And it was worth it.

Hope. JESUS came to bring not only a new covenant & freedom to the Jewish people but He also came to give hope to the gentiles, that’s me! I have hope in an eternal future because CHRIST came to earth from Heaven to free us all from the yoke of slavery to sin.

Hope in God truly does bring joy & peace into my life everyday, I just have to be willing daily to turn to Him and follow His path already set out for me (do wish sometimes that path was alittle easier to see, but I do know it is there, just have to rely on GOD to light my way)

May the GOD of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT ~ Romans 15:13

Alittle stamping fun this day. I have had these stamps for a while & have been waiting for Christmas (they will be appearing on gift tags this year). I cut up some of the sentiments so I could just use the ampersand and the word ‘peace’. But since they are clear stamps I can align them back into order with a clear stamping block, easy.

Day seven was a rest day in the advent reading plan I’m using, and it was Sunday. I usually skip quite time with GOD on Sundays, with going to church, catching up with friends and spending time with WH (wonderful husband) quite time always gets pushed to the back burner. Terrible I know. But next week (which is actually this week) I’m going to try to sit down and reflect on the Sunday message from our Pastor. Try anyway!

Hope & pray that those of you who are also doing some form of advent study this year and being blessed and growing in your relationship with our Heavenly Father.

An Illustrated Advent

It is December! Where on earth has the year gone? I have no idea.

Over the last couple of years I have tried to do some things to document and reflect on the importance of this time of year.

And failed every time!

But that is ok, every failure just brings you closer to what actual works.

I have actual found doing normal scrapbooking, just one page documenting the whole season or just one moment, has worked best for me. But I also enjoy taking the time do reflect on the true story of Christmas through doing a bible study that takes me through the story of Jesus’ birth.

I have also been getting involved in the Illustrated Faith movement (click here to read more info), so I wanted to participate in an Illustrated Advent. Shanna on her blog is using an actual book, but I couldn’t really justify the purchase so I have found a bible study on my bible app youversion for the purpose.

So far it has been 2 days, this being the 2nd December & I have really enjoyed things so far. Basically I do my quite time study as normal for me reading the verse(s) from the advent bible study. Reflecting & writing down my thoughts. I pray, then I pop over to my craft table and think about what really stood out to me in what I read & what God reveled to me in that reading. Then I get creative!

Advent Day 1 – Luke 1:26-38

Advent Day One was a lot of reading!! The story of how Mary found out she was going to give birth to Jesus is one that is heard time and time again this time of year. But I found myself lead to how Mary felt fear at first when the angel appeared to her, then concerns about how what she being told was even possible then she submitted and accepted to GODs plans for her. The words that really stuck out for me was vs 37

For no word from GOD will ever fail Luke 1:37

So I journaled a combination of the two. Simply with my own handwriting and stamps.

Advent Day 2 – John 1:1-4

Day two was a departure from the ‘traditional’ story of Jesus’ coming to earth. But I found it important to understand who Jesus actually is & that he was there at the creation of the earth. And that he knew me before I even came into being. Verse 4 struck me with the simplicity and power in its message.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all people John 1:4

This time I choose to stick with just lettering, coloured with coloured pencils. Simplicity for words that truly speak for themselves.

I’ll be back as I keep going with Journaling Advent 2014, so far it has been a great way of exploring the true meaning of the season.