A New Year, A New Decade

2017, 2018 and 2019 were years of loss worldwide. Many well-known persons lost their lives. In my personal life, I lost a cousin, nephew, mom, and two amazing girlfriends, and most recently, my cousin’s husband. Of all of these losses the ones that were the hardest to deal with were the unexpected ones. The year has just began and I’ve already received news of the sudden passing of a church member.

 

As this past year has ended and the new one has begun I realize that I shouldn’t be surprised by the suddenness of death. What I should be doing is focusing on living a Christ like life because I know that tomorrow is not promised to me or anyone for that matter. I wonder, as I reflect on the loss of loved ones, did they give their lives to Christ? Did they confess Him as their Lord and Savior? Were they in relationship with Him? I cannot answer any of these questions and neither can they, but what I do know is that I have the opportunity to reverse the course of my life and those I come in contact with by proclaiming God’s word and living life according to his word.

The Bible gives ample warnings about the suddenness of death, which should be taken to heart but many don’t. Matthew 25:13 clearly states, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Just as the past few years have shown with these unexpected deaths, we ought to take stock of how we’re living our lives and turn to God and seek forgiveness for our sinful ways.

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 66, God warns of the judgment to come but he also gives us hope. He shows us where our disobedience will take us if we don’t change our ways. He is not looking for those who go to church and claim to be Christians. He’s not impressed by our outward performance. What he seeks are the true worshippers, those whose hearts are humble and pure. Kayla Ferris, in her study of Isaiah 66, shares the following, “Warren W. Wiersbe said in his commentary Be Comforted: "It is the heart of the worshipper that determines the value of the offering." Jesus points this out in Luke 21:1-4 with the woman who gave all she had, which wasn’t much, but it came from her heart. These are the attributes that God is seeking from his followers. His word in this last book of Isaiah warns us that true worshippers of God will rejoice while the wicked will perish.

Let’s make 2020 and the new decade a time where we make a turn around and rob death of its sting. Yes, death comes like a thief in the night as witnessed by the unexpected deaths, but we should not tremble for fear of God’s judgment; instead we should fall at his feet with gratitude for his grace towards us. We ought to turn to his word and read his promises to us, his plans to prosper and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), his patience towards us in not seeking for us to perish(2 Peter 3:9), and the hope we have for salvation when we declare that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

Card Techniques

It's been a while since I updated my blog with any of the cards I've made. I sometimes get so busy that I forget to take pictures, but if I do, I forget to post them.

Here are some of the cards I made over the past few months.

The two cards below were made using the napkin technique. I have wanted to try this technique for a while and the opportunity presented itself when I found this pack of napkins at the dollar store. I die cut the phrases from dies in my stash.

I love to create cards for women, especially African American women because we don't see a lot of stamps depicting the culture. Here are a few stamps I purchased from Rubbernecker Stamps.

I used Distress Oxide inks to create this background

I used a stencil from on this one, then used a blender brush to apply the ink to the background. I used Copic markers to color the image.

The technique for this background required me to use bleach. Yes, you read right. I used a stencil then dabbed bleach to change the look of the cardstock. I colored the image with Copic markers.

Here's another beautiful stamp from Rubbernecker. I used the My Monthly Hero February 2019 kit's stencil to create this background using Distress Oxide ink and colored the image with Copic Markers. 

I hope to begin updating my blog with the work I do, whether it is card making, cakes, or artwork.

Thanks for stopping by!

D'Bee

My Love for Baking

I began baking when I was a teenager. My dad was a Chef and when I was 9 and my sister was 8, he decided we needed to know how to cook. Yes, he did that. In fact, at an early age, he taught us how to clean, cook and care for ourselves and our younger siblings; there were five of us and I was the oldest of the five.

He didn't teach me how to bake, it just came naturally to me. My mother would bring home Duncan Hines cake mixes for me to try. She even bought me my first cookbook (Betty Crocker) which I still have, by the way.

My first cookbook

One of my favorite recipes to try was the Pineapple Upside Down cake. That still remains one of the most requested cakes by my family. At some point, I no longer used cake mixes and began playing around with cakes from scratch. I began experimenting with recipes common to the West Indian community I grew up in. Three of these were my favorite-- Coconut Bread, Fruit Cake, and Yucca Pone. Today, I decided to go back to my roots and make Coconut Bread (I'll blog about the last two at a later date).

Coconut Bread is a sweet bread (sort of like a Banana Nut or Zucchini Bread) made with real shredded coconut that you have to hull and grate. I went to Superior Market for the coconut. I knew they usually carry them there. In fact, they carry both the white and brown coconuts. I bought the brown one, which is what I'm used to. I used a hammer to crack the coconut (the shell is pretty hard) and a paring knife to remove the meat from the husk. I discovered that using my Bullet cuts down on the time it takes to shred by hand and speeds up the baking process. For this recipe, I don't use a stand-alone mixer, I do it all by hand.

Cracking open that coconut!

Below is the recipe.

Coconut Bread

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks) melted
4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins (Optional - I'm not a fan of raisins, so I use discretion when baking with them).
1 whole shredded coconut (not the packaged store bought kind)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
In a large mixing bowl add flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking powder. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and gradually add the evaporated milk, the eggs, almond extract, and melted butter. Mix in the raisins until all ingredients are incorporated.

Shredded Coconut

Batter consistency

Transfer to two loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Below are some photos that my daughter took as I was preparing the batter.

Final product

I hope you try it, It's delicious!

Knowing Jesus

Reading the Bible and having knowledge of the word of God does not mean we have established an intimate relationship with Christ. Intimacy is defined as, “close familiarity or closeness.” But it takes more than familiarity or closeness to be intimate with God. It requires that we engage not only our minds but our hearts; our heart must be open to and prepared by the Spirit of God. That is why studying the word is not enough.

As we draw nearer to God intimately, we will gain knowledge of our Father and His intentions for us. This will build confidence in us to move closer to Him. Why? Because for our public ministry to be effective, we must have established a deeper relationship with Him in our prayer closet.

To know Him intimately requires that we become acquainted with Him. In order to do so we must sit quietly before Him, we must learn to be still and open our hearts and be vulnerable before Him. We must allow God to love on us and quieten our souls, to hear from Him how special we are to Him and how much He loves us regardless of how unworthy we may feel. God won’t throw your deeds in your dace; He loves those who seek Him, especially when they do so with contrite hearts. He is a good God who knows everything about us including our fears and our hurts, but more importantly, He knows our heart.

Once we become acquainted with Him friendship will follow. Jesus offers us salvation and when we accept it, it’s not enough just to be saved; we want to develop a friendship with Him. Here are Jesus words to us in John 15:15-16, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (‭NIV‬‬). 

As we become acquainted and develop a friendship with Christ, then what follows is trust. It Is not easy; we must make a conscious decision to place our trust in God because we tend to associate trust with emotions (feelings). We become disappointed in others based on a misplaced trust in people. With God that trust, as I stated before, must be by choice. We must trust Him to hold us, heal us, provide for us and lead us. We cannot equate trust in people with trust in God. People hurt and abuse us, yet we place our trust in them and love God. It’s turned around; we should love people and trust God because He never betrays our trust. He’s the one we lean on when we’re betrayed and hurt time and again. That right there should be our wake up call! Psalm 125:1 states, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” When your decisions, plans, and ideas are rooted in your trust in God, you will be able to stand firm despite the storms that may come your way.  

Watercolor and Stamps

This past week I watched a tutorial from Sandy Allnock on painting water and decided to try it. Thankful I had the Hero Arts Killer Messages stamps to play with. Here’s the finished product.

Me, Myself and I

These three words seem harmless but in matters of our faith, they can be dangerous.

When used to brag about our feats and achievements they become a matter of pride. Taking pride in our accomplishments and bragging as though we alone made them happen is self-absorption, self-centeredness; we forget who made it possible for us to succeed, who gave us the ability do well, to create, to be!

When facing crisis or difficulties, we tend to become the center; we utter phrases like “why me?” As if we alone go through trials. In effect we’re self-pitying, looking for others to feel sorry for us and what we are going through.

It is hard when we are confronted with the truth about ourselves. I’ve been guilty of all of the above and as I look back on my pity party celebrations, I’m appalled at my lack of humbleness, my lack of trust in God!! Yes, that is exactly what it is: selfish, self-absorbing, me, myself and I self-centeredness!

God wants us to turn to Him for all our needs. He has promised to take care of us and provide for us over and over again in scripture, but it is as if we don’t hear or believe Him. As I read today’s scripture in my study plan, Jeremiah 45, verse 5 halted me in my tracks. Here’s what it says, “And you, do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for I am going to bring disaster upon all flesh, says the Lord; but I will give you your life as a prize of war in every place to which you may go.”” (NRSV)

I had to re-read it all over again and as I did it struck me: stop focusing on success for yourself, stop focusing on doing things your way; forget your self-pitying absorption and instead lean on God, place your trust in Him, allow Him to guide your footsteps and He will prosper you!

#bestnineart2018

That’s it! That’s what God wants from us, that we surrender and humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to do what He’s always promised He would do: be our Jehovah Jireh, our provider. God’s word in this verse is a promise to us if we move from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness!

#bestnine2018 (cards)

As we enter into 2019, I pray we will all take a look at our lives and the path we are on and take stock of where we are and where we want to be; that we rewrite the story of our lives to make God the main focus of everything we do and trust Him for our success.

As you center yourself and create plans and goals for the New Year, I invite you to read Hebrews 11:6 and make it your go-to scripture for the year: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (NRSV).

Happy and prosperous 2019!

Let’s Keep Christ in Christmas

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our everything: our lawyer in the courtroom, our doctor when we’re sick, our friend when we need a shoulder to cry on; everything we need rolled into one person.

His story was meant to be told, which is why Christmas is celebrated worldwide. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, the story of Jesus’ birth has the power to transform lives and bring about joy, wonder and peace for all mankind.

Long before He was born, His story was prophesied through the prophet Isaiah. It was the vision of the soon coming Messiah, the savior of the world who would be a ransom for many.

Isaiah 9:6 gave us an insight of who Jesus would be:

A wonderful Counselor: Proverbs 2:6-7 states it best: “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” (NET)

A Mighty God: He’s mighty in strength, He’s courageous and has all power in His hands. The good news is that these attributes are available to us as well. Psalm 46:1 (NIV) declares, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. We have all we need when we seek and trust in Him.

The Everlasting Father: He’s the connection to God our Father. Without Him, we don’t have access to God. He’s our mediator, our intercessor. Hebrews 1:3 states, “The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

He’s the Prince of Peace (Jehovah Shalom). Jesus was born as man to make us right with our Heavenly Father. Our sinful nature would keep us from God but for Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. He shed His blood so that we could be reconciled to God. Hence, before returning to God He stated, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”John 14:27 NET. With Him we have the assurance of peace during difficult times because we have access to Him and can be sure that He will guard, keep and grant us rest.

This is why we must remember the reason for the season. Jesus’ birth was God’s gift to us. Let’s keep Christ in Christmas.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Come Out and Support Local Artists this Saturday!

If you are in the Los Angeles area, we'd like to invite you to support Nichole Thomas-White (Forty Four Angeles, Deborah Bell and myself (Imago Dei Creative Designs) as well as other local artists/vendors who will be showcasing and selling our art, crafts, designs at Le "Holiday" Pop Up Shoppe, a unique boutique experience, hosted by Stacey Evans Morgan at Pip's On La Brea from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

See the flyer below for further information. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Spiritual Income

I came across the above phrase in my daily devotions and it resonated with me. Hebrews 9:24-28 state, “For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Romans 5:1 confirms this: "Therefore since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

What the writer of Hebrews was saying according to the devotional is that “something momentous happened when Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended." Furthermore, we, the followers of Jesus Christ, “have not been left with nothing to do.” He has left us “to live daily with trust and anticipation, set in a history replete with horror, injustice, and cruelty in which we must exercise all sources of “spiritual income,” including the daily disciplines of prayer and scripture reading.” I will add to that, praise, worship and honor to His name.

In spite of what we may be facing in our Christian walk, Jesus’ death has left us with faith and hope to receive the grace of God when we love, forgive, and trust in Him despite what’s going on in the world today. 

Cards and More Cards!

Here are some of the latest cards I made. Some were created using digital stamps (some of which I've had for years and can't remember where I purchased) and others I purchased on Etsy. Most of these have been colored using Copic Markers.

Enjoy!

Joy digi stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil

 

Angie Girl Stamp, Journeem from Unity Stamp Co.

Cuttlebug Embossing file 

Stampin' Up Beautiful You collection stamp

Finding Joy in the Pain

When we face trials, when our world caves in on us, it seems impossible that we would be able to deal with the pain and suffering that accompanies these trials. It is not easy for some. We may turn to drink, depression, overeating, over shopping, anything to alleviate the hurt. Yet and still it remains. Whoever said the time heals all wounds obviously must have suffered from a superficial cut—nothing deep that leaves a scar.

Death seems a final wound, one that will not heal because our loved one is no longer with us. I’ve suffered through the death of cousins (who died too young), aunts, uncles, my oldest sister, and recently, my nephew and my mother. Each of these has left a void in my heart, a hurt, that though is not physically manifested, rises to the surface of my consciousness when I least expect it and reopens the wound once again. Maybe not as deep as when they were inflicted, but hurtful nonetheless.

Enid M. Hall - 12/31/1922 - 8/31/2018

Yet, through it all I find myself remembering the good times, the lasting happy moments that death cannot erase and I am lifted out of my sorrow to rejoice and give thanks to God for those happy times. And it is in my rejoicing that I find peace—peace in knowing that my loved ones are safe in the loving arms of Jesus and that I will see them again. I find joy in knowing that death’s sting was not hurtful enough to drag me into despair because Jesus took the bite out of the sting when He paid the price on the cross. I have love—the love of my family and friends who are just a call, just a prayer away, waiting to lend me a shoulder to cry on when I face these sad moments; the love of God, who promised to be there for me in my time of need, the love of Christ, whose blood washes over me in my sorrow, keeping me safe and secure.

Through periods of suffering, James 5:13 reminds us to pray and if possible to sing praises. This is no easy feat for some, but for those who are in Christ, praising and worshipping Him is a salve to our wounds because it takes the focus off our problems and places us in the Holy presence of God, where our troubles can’t touch us, where we honor and pour out our love to Him to the extent of forgetting our pain. It is in that moment healing washes over us.

Yes, there is healing for our pain. It is found when we surrender to the joy of praising and worshiping God, this giving ourselves over to Him for the healing of our souls.

Read James 5:13-18

Bible Journaling

It is amazing the many exciting ways we have that can lead us to spend time in God's Word. There is prayer, praise, worship, soaking, sitting still, journaling, all amazing ways of connecting with God. I love all of these, especially praise and worship, but last year I discovered a new way to interact with God in a way that makes my soul sing: Bible Journaling.

As a cardmaker, I am always on the lookout for inspiration for my cards. Little did I know that there was a way to use the techniques and tools of cardmaking in my private time with God. It was mindblowing! As I researched and followed Bible Journalers on Social Media, I fell in love with this, for me, a new method of spending time connecting with God. It gives me a sense of freedom as I read His Word and His Spirit plants seeds of creativity in my mind and I visualize how He wants me to interpret what I've read.

I have gone so far as to step out of my comfort zone and take part in a challenge. This was amazing because it involved using watercolor to create the journal entries for World Watercolor Month 2018. For thirty (30) days, I journaled based on prompts supplied by the challenge organizer. This challenge opened me up to going outside of my comfort zone and trusting God with my creative masterpieces. I am no expert, by any means, but I keep at it because I get to spend time in His presence and because the work that comes forth from our time together brings glory to His name. 

This is the latest piece I created. I was studying Spiritual Foundations based on Romans 8:1-2 in a Bible Journaling course I participated. This scripture reads, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." What impressed me most about this scripture was the phrase "the Spirit who gives life has set you free" and what immediately came to mind was broken chains. 

Take a look at the finished product below. If you want to see some more of the journaling pages I have done, click here.

The Truth of the Matter

Love is patient and kind...love is not rude (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). These scriptures right here carry so much weight. If we love with the love of God, our words and actions will signify patience and kindness, but never rudeness. People tend to think that speaking truth and being truthful shouldn’t be hurtful because it is the truth. But when we deliver truth harshly, without consideration for those we’re “schooling”, or to make a point, we fail to realize that our words of truth can cause more harm than good. Jesus’ words, “...The truth will set you

free,” (John 8:32) are true words spoken by Jesus, but only if we deliver our “truth” in a loving way and not with the intention to hurt the receivers of that truth; only then will they gain meaning.

The truth of the matter is that truth without love is a weapon of mass destruction. As followers of Jesus, our words should build up, not tear down the body of Christ. We are God’s representatives on earth and as such we ought to represent Him the way Jesus did: with love, kindness, patience, speaking truth in a way the recipient’s eyes will be opened to see his or her mistakes; not closing their ears to shut out what we’re saying because we didn’t take the time to deliver the truth “in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 states it well: “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

I pray that when you feel led to speak the truth to someone, you will first consider what motivates you to do so. Check your motives. If you’re doing it driven to make a point, please reconsider. Ask the Lord to show you a better way of delivering the truth, with patience, love and kindness. Then and only then will the truth set someone free.

Read 1 Corinthians 13

Back to Basics

We are the church. Did you know that? The four walls that enclose us on Sunday mornings are just that—walls. When we leave the building we should be taking the church with us. After all, we are witnesses for God, His representatives here on earth. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can take God’s word where the Spirit leads us.

Before David decided he wanted to build a temple for God, He (God) was everywhere the people went; He was not boxed in, He was in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). Even after the temple was built, God could not be contained. When the Israelites went into exile in Babylon, God was with them; when we, modern day Christians became part of the Vine as Gentiles grafted in by God’s grace and mercy into Abraham’s family tree, He didn’t leave us, on the contrary, He molded us and made us part of His family, all without walls! So why do we limit ourselves to the four walls of the church? Why do we continue to do business as usual, holding on to tradition, locking our doors against those who look and speak different than we do, when the God we serve is a God of change, one who doesn’t look on us based on our gender, color or anything that hints at a difference in our make up; a God who looks to do ‘a new thing’ in the lives of His people?  Here’s why: we are afraid of change, so we remain locked in the four walls of the church afraid to wander in the wilderness not trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide us, and what is worse, we keep others out, thus isolating ourselves, which keeps us from being who God created us to be: His church.

We must go back to basics, back to allowing God to lead us by day and night, through His Spirit, to reach others for His kingdom.  To do so, we must tear down the walls that separate us from God’s children and welcome them with open arms.

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-14

World Without Walls!

We tend to think in terms of either or; either you’re black or you’re white; male or female; you’re heterosexual or homosexual; partisan or bipartisan, and the list goes on. This is how we tend to categorize people. We set boundaries and limits upon ourselves.

Day 14: Strong

God doesn’t look on us that way. He doesn’t see our color, sexual orientation, gender; He sees us as one: his children. He doesn’t categorize us, which frees us from limitations—we are all from the same tribe—God’s, and members of one body. As such, we see each other as brothers and sisters with a common bond: our Heavenly Father. Galatians 3:28 says it best, “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us, you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.”(MSG).

Free your mind from the demarcations imposed by man and live life in the knowledge that, “...since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.” Galatians 3:29 MSG.

Live Life As If It Were Your Last

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV

Do you make plans for the future and the things you will do but leave God out of it? Welcome to living life thinking you have a future. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with planning for the future. The problem lies in planning as though you are in control of your future.

Our lives have a purpose. Do you know what yours is? If you do, are you living in it? Are you committed to doing what God has marked you to do or are you living life thinking only about yourself and what you want to achieve?

In Luke 12:16-21 Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who thought he had sole control of his life and made his own decisions. Read what he says to himself, “‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’”Luke 12:17-19 NIV

You know what God called this man? A fool! Read it in the text, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”” Luke 12:17-21 NIV

This man lived life with a “me, myself, and I” mentality. Everything he said was about him, him, and him alone. At no point did he stop to give God thanks for providing the soil to grow his crops or the means to even build the barn to store them! It’s important that we live our lives according to God’s will for us and be thankful to God because we wouldn’t have anything if it weren’t for His provision. Living life selfishly, only thinking about ourselves is not what God has planned for us. In everything we do we must seek God’s direction and live according to the path He’s traced out for us.

There is nothing wrong with living and following your dreams, but make sure those dreams are in alignment with God’s plan for your life and will bring glory to Him through it. The Bible clearly states, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you” —Matthew 6:33.

Live your life knowing that if you meet your maker tomorrow you can give a full account for all you’ve done to glorify and honor Him. Live it so you can hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” —Matthew 25:23.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

What is happiness? It is defined as a “state of being”; a state of being happy, joyful, content, satisfied. Happiness is what we make for ourselves.

People believe that happiness is found in things such as money, food, clothing, and so forth. The reality is completely different. These things cannot make one happy, happiness can only be brought about by one’s ability to create it for oneself. Happiness is a choice! One must choose to be happy despite going through heartache, pain, sickness, and the list goes on. We have been given that power from Jesus Christ. It is, after all, a state of being! 

When we worry and fret over situations that happen in life, we give power to that situation, which robs us of the ability to be happy: it saps our energy and robs us of peace of mind, tranquility, and joy. We must learn to discern what it takes to make one happy and go about embracing that truth to such an extent that nothing will ever make us unhappy regardless of how painful it is. Proverbs 3:13 says it best, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;”

When we give our lives over to God and learn to leave our problems at His feet and spend our time in His will and being in His presence—living and being instead of doing—only then will we find happiness. See what it says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” Walking in God’s way and keeping His laws will help us learn to always “be happy”.

“Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. —Philippians4:11-13 MSG

World Watercolor Month 2018

July 1st marked the beginning of World Watercolor Month 2018 hosted by Doodlewash. I follow Sandy Allnock and she created prompts for those who do Bible Journaling and cardmaking to be able to interpret in many ways. I didn't set out to join this challenge, but because I Bible Journal and was seeing some of what other on her Facebook page where creating, I decided to try my hand at it. What I love best about this challenge is not so much following the prompt, but how God directs me to the scriptures to use and how I interpret them, plus the added bonus of practicing a medium that I am not familiar with.

Here are the prompts I have completed so far.

Day 1 - Star

Day 3 - Red

Day 5 - Circle

Day 6 - Young; the stamps is from Unity Stamps

Day 7: Pink

Day 8: Sweet

As you can see, I'm not following the daily prompts. I wait for God to speak to me and inspire me to interpret the prompts.

Here also are some cards I made over the past weeks. I hope to really try posting some of my work more often for you to enjoy.

Have a wonderful day!

D'Bee

This was a special request for a birthday guy. 

I love these stamps from Rubbernecker Stamps!

Here's another one!

and another!