This weeks Bible journaling adventures...

So, in my last post I bombarded you with words...lots and lots of words. This week I'm going to bombard you with pictures...lots and lots of pictures...
 
Since starting my Journaling Bible adventure, not even a week ago, things have taken off. Now, instead of reading the Word as something that I just have to fit in, it is something I think about ALL THE TIME! I can't wait to get into it, and God is revealing things in His Word to me that I never noticed before.
 
I encourage you, if reading the Word is "just another thing I have to fit into my day," then purchase a journaling Bible (you can get them as cheap as AUS$30 online at places like http://koorong.com and http://bookdepository.com and many other places...I think they are much more readily available in the US, but don't let that hold you back), grab some pens and stickers (or just pens if that's what you like) and start journaling through the Word...best decision I EVER made. Of course, you can still do it without a journaling Bible; just use your regular Bible and a notebook. That's how I started out before my journaling Bible arrived. Of course, you can jump on over to http://illustratedfaith.com for plenty more hints, tips and inspiration :)
 
Anyway, now that I've thrown a few words at you, here are lots of pics of this weeks adventures in the Word...
 
 
This is the other side of the first Titus page I did in the last post...

 
A bit of chalking and inktense pencils...


Proverbs 29:18
 

 
Exodus 32:1
 
 
Philippians...oh man I love Philippians. This page focuses on Philippians 1 vs 20
 

Canvases are fun too :)
 


More Philippians...Philippians 2 vs 5 - 11
 

 
Just to show you can journal ANYWHERE...including when you're waiting for your car to have new tyres put on...
 
 
So, Philippians looks a bit full...Philippians 4 is FULL of God gems...I thought I had it all covered, but then realised I missed a rather important one...
 
 
Philippians 4:13...I had to add it on vellum over the top of the passage (it lifts like a flap) just to make it fit...I must say, I do love how my Philippians pages turned out...and best of all, I gained some wisdom, strength and insight into God's Word while doing it.
 
If you journal in your Bible, leave me a comment and a link to your blog...I love to see how everyone else expresses worship to the Father.
 
Much love
Suse xxx
 

Because of His Mercy!


A couple of weeks back one of our church preachers, Nick, spoke about Titus. Now, Titus was a book in the Bible I had never read before. Sure, I knew it was there, right between 2 Timothy and Philemon (which I will admit to not having read until recently either), but I had never given it much thought. It's a tiny little book, with all of three chapters. Perhaps that's why I had never given it the time of day. It's such a tiny book of the Bible, surely there isn't enough space in it's measly three chapters for anything of importance. Probably just waffle about the people of the time doing good/bad things...no real nuggets of truth.
 
BOY WAS I WRONG!!!
 
Through that sermon I learned to see the little book of Titus in a whole new light. I mean, right in chapter 3 and verse 4  and 5 is the entire message of the gospel, all nicely wrapped up in a nutshell...


 
Our Father in heaven didn't choose to save us because of anything we have or haven't done. He didn't choose to save us purely because of our righteousness...I mean, come on, who really is righteous enough to be saved on merit alone...only Jesus Christ. Not a single human, living or dead, could match up to the perfect image of Christ. If we were to be saved through righteousness, every single one of us would be left wanting! Sure, works are good, and God does ask us to do His work, but works are not everything.
 
No...God saved us because of His mercy, because of His love and kindness...
 
Verse 5 and 6 continue on, saying "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us GENEROUSLY through Jesus Christ our Saviour."
 
Our God GENEROUSLY, LOVINGLY, KINDLY and MERCIFULLY chose to save US, unrighteous sinners, and include us in the fold of His arms.
 
There is still so much more in the way of Biblical truth in the book of Titus, and I am relishing exploring it in my quiet time today.
 
So if you ever feel like you're not righteous enough, not pure enough, just not enough in general, then I encourage you...open up your Word and read the little book of Titus to see the entire truth of the gospel displayed before your very eyes. Grab hold of that truth and never let it go...
 
You ARE enough for God!
 
Much love
Suse xx

He gives His peace


Something that I struggle with is anxiety. My husband always tells me not to name it, but when the fear and stress levels rise, that's all I can think to do. About 14 years ago I started having severe panic attacks to the point where I would pretty much pass out, and, sometimes, I would stop breathing for a bit while I was out. It was bad. My mum once found me slumped on our church bathroom floor after an attack and my dad had to carry me out to the car. Most people didn't know what had happened and just assumed I had been slain in the Spirit. "Oh, how wonderful," they said, "She's been touched by Jesus." Well, I Can tell you something; it was certainly not wonderful and it was more like touched by the enemy!
 
I learned not long after what it was that was setting off these attacks; and they were just that; attacks of the enemy! The relationship I was in at the time was anything but healthy - unhealthy enough to give me the guilts, because I knew what was going on was wrong. Sneaking around behind my parents backs, saying I was at university, but then ditching to spend time with him, telling my parents I was at youth but instead was with him...sure, I showed my face at youth, to make sure I had an alibi, but I didn't stick around long. He had a strangle hold on me and my life, but I just couldn't see it. The Devil knew this, and used it as a foothold into my life, setting off these panic attacks. It was not until after I broke up with my then boyfriend and saw for myself the detrimental effect that he had on me that the panic attacks began to dissipate.
 
I didn't have another attack for 13 more years.
 
Then my darling husband started having to work away from home. Now, I know that a lot of people live this way and have done so for a long time, but you have to understand something: We've been married 11 years now, and for 9 of those precious years we had barely spent a night apart. So, our whole family dynamic and way of living changed completely in 2013.
 
I was okay for the first year or so, he was only away 4 nights a week, but in 2014 he started going away for longer stints, only home 4 days a fortnight. In about August of 2014 my world came crashing down around my ears.
 
The panic attacks started again.
 
Now that's not to say I had not had anxious times before that; oh there were plenty of those, but I had always managed to control it. However, the longer I tried to control it, the more I wouldn't let God help me control it.
 
My husband had never witnessed one of my panic attacks before, and this time, he had to witness it over the phone. I was hysterical; sobbing like a baby, unable to get any words out. I knew that what he was saying to me to try and calm me made sense, but my brain had just shut down and nothing could get through. I couldn't breathe. And worst of all, I had the children home with me. I did something stupid; I threw them in the car and drove around the corner to my dear friends house...I knew she would be able to help me. She is one of the most godly women I know...and I was right to do so. She let me get it all out, she gave me tea and biscuits, and she prayed with me. It was one of the kindest gestures anyone has ever shown me, especially when I rocked up at her door at about 9 o clock at night!
 
The attacks became few and far between once again. I still had a couple of meltdowns, but my wonderful husband walked me through them and got me through to the other side. I now know that I cannot control these fits of emotion, but God can. God can give us peace that passes all understanding.
 
Recently I started feeling anxious again. Our little church was going through a little upheaval and things were changing. Change is good, but it still makes me anxious. Then, in my Bible study (I'm studying about how to manage my moods...haha), John 14:27 came up...
 
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
 
and the next day, the same verse popped up in my Facebook feed. Well, I think God is trying to tell me something, so I decided to turn it into a small wall art to remind myself of the Father's amazing, everlasting, all understanding peace...
 
 
I encourage you, if you are feeling the heat, feeling anxious and stressed, meditate on John 14:27. God's peace is immeasurable and all understanding. God gets it, He really does and He wants us to understand that His peace is ours if only we will ask for it!
 
Much love
Suse xxx
 
 
 
 
P.s. I don't know if any of you have heard of Bible Journaling, I hadn't until a couple of months ago when I found it on Instagram. I encourage you to google it, it is truly amazing. Did you know that worship is not only singing and raising your hands? Whatever we put our hands to can be worship if we do it intentionally to please God, and Bible journaling is just that.
 
Today I finally got my first journaling Bible...isn't it pretty???
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It has wide, lined margins, especially for journaling. Some people write sermon notes and prayers, others embellish and paint their favourite scriptures. It is truly an amazing form of worship.
 
I can't wait to join in!
 
Let me know if you Bible journal, and if so, put a link in your comment so I can have a looky! I love to see how everyone uses their journaling Bibles :)
 


Hi *tentatively waves at the empty room*

This blog is old...and I mean, really old. I started it way back in 2006 when it was called Life's Journey...I have 170 posts...and they are all in draft mode. I was going to republish them all, but then I thought, no. I want to start afresh. I want to begin a new journey. Some of the content will be much the same; craft projects, birthday parties, family life...that sort of stuff. But I also want to focus more on my walk with God. Thus the name change and the face lift (of the blog...I have NOT had a facelift!). I want this blog to be an outreach to people who are searching. A blog of encouragement and God-inspiration.
 
In some ways it is hard to start anew. There are things that stand in the way, and change is HARD. But in God, ALL things are made new.
 
I do want to make one thing clear... I am not perfect. I am FAR from perfect (just ask my hubby and kids!). I mess up...a lot. I have moments of complete and utter despair, when I feel like an utter failure at EVERYTHING. I fail God, I fail the people I love, I fail pretty much everyone. But that is okay because in my weakness He is strong. My failure makes me humble, and when I am humble, I make room for GOD, who is the epitome of perfection!
 
So walk this journey with me. I hope you will be encouraged by the words on this blog, the same way I hope to be encouraged by them as well.
 
Much love
Suse xx
 
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