Greetings Illustrated Faith Family!
Fall is upon us and changes are in the air. Kids return to school and the seasons are changing. Perhaps you are finding yourself as I am, in transition, seeking God’s guidance and wisdom for your next step, confirmation for the present callings upon your life. It can be a scary place to be. It has sent me to seek the Lord with an earnest heart and soak myself in scripture. I want to be so entwined with Him that I can’t help but move where, when, and how He wants.
Opportunities have presented themselves and honestly I have felt like Moses. Saying to God, “But… And…. Are you sure God? Don’t you realize my weaknesses? Don’t you see I am not qualified? Have you not seen the mistakes I have made and continue to make? Are you sure You want to trust me with that?”
And you know what?
God has patiently whispered, “Amy, stop looking at yourself to fulfill the calling. I know your flesh is weak. I AM the designer of you. I made you with weaknesses intentionally. You are weak so I can shine through you!”
Friends, God does not call the equipped, He calls and chooses His children. Yes, we have gifts, but God does not determine our ability by what the world sees. He determines our ability by how yielded we are to Him. Our gifts are sewn into us for His purposes and they shine their brightest when He is allowed to work through them. He can’t do that when we think we’ve got things on our own. He is the great I AM. He is the Redeemer. He is all powerful and all knowing. And He wants to use you. He chooses you. If He is calling you right now, answer, be brave, trust Him. He is the designer of you!
Check out a few snippets I underlined from 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 –
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world…God chose what is weak…God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are…so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Yep, He’s got it and sometimes the things that seem so big to us are exactly where He wants to use us.
Let’s journal truth.
I started with a simple watercolor background with colors inspired by Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Tabbies – Adam’s Mix. Adding wide stripes of watercolor is a great way to add color to your page without covering the words.
I decided to prep my page because I wanted a smooth surface with a bit of tooth to receive the watercolors in a more even manner. I slipped the Illustrated Faith Mat behind the page and tacked it down with washi tape to protect the pages behind. Next I smoothed Dina Wakley’s Gesso on with an Illustrated Faith Paint Card.
I pulled out my watercolors and a wide flat watercolor brush to make the stripes. A good tip for any painting is to choose your brush shape based on what you are painting, for example – flat brushes paint straight lines more easily – round brushes reach rounded spots and tiny details – oval brushes paint lovely long petals on a flower.
I love using a jumbled selection of letter stickers to write my message. I love how it looks and it’s never a problem when I don’t have a letter in a set, it just means add another kind of letter sticker! “Make me like You” sticker was perfect because I just want to be less of me and more of Him. I laid out all of the stickers on a clear piece of packaging to make sure the design was pleasing to my eye.
I underlined the words that danced on the page for me. And then, well, you know what is up next, the tab. Oh how I love my tabs and the new tabbies just ROCK. Each one of them has such personality. They just make me smile BIG.
I decided to cut the I Am Enough tab in half so I can use the other half later. I attached them with doubled sided tape.
I wanted to add a bit more color so I pulled out more sticker sheets and added “shine in me,” a green enamel heart, and another tabbie.
I love that God has given me the gift of journaling pages to confirm His voice. When I look back over 2015-2016, I will have creativity reflected all of of His guidance and love and I will remember to be brave because He is the designer of me! I am chosen! And so are you!
Be brave.
Hugs,
Amy
ESV Leather Journaling Bible | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Be Bold Bible Journaling Mat | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Paint Cards | Dina Wakley Clear Gesso
Love love love. What a good message to be reminded of. I am pressing forward in being brave. Something is around the bend–resting in knowing He’s got it! Hugs to you as you journey friend!
And thanks for the bit about brushes–much to learn but that is helpful!
Monica – glad the brush tips helped!