Peace,  Faith & Trust

Peace, Faith & Trust

Hello all!I am an Oklahoma girl, through and through!I was born here and after 5 years in Texas for college, I missed Oklahoma too much and just had to come back home with my Oklahoma husband to raise our Oklahoma babies! I met my husband in high school and fell we in love in college.We have 2 beautiful kids that are full of life and make me such a proud momma.I love to craft, journal, paint furniture, and decorate our Edmond home!See some of my creations at The Lettered Light www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlight and IG:theletteredlight
Latest posts by McKenzie R (see all)

Several years ago, I decided to pick a “word” for the year.

At the time, life seemed a little bit on the chaotic side.  Who am I kidding – that’s all the time!  I had a 9-month-old waking up several times every night and a 4 year old son who was testing all kinds of boundaries, and I was still trying to figure out this normal in our growing family.  Finding a way to make all the demands fit together was a bit more than I could handle.  I’m sure none of you can relate to a chaotic life, right?  Right when you feel like you get a grasp on anything, it begins to change and slip through your hands again. 

Well, when all of the crazy seemed to be enveloping me, I decided to pray about a WORD for my year.  Now ya’ll, this kind of prayer can be scary.  You start to realize that the Lord is about to speak to you.  Yikes!  You better hold on!

After a couple days of thinking and praying, there was one word that seemed to float to the top of all of my thoughts… TRUST.  Yep, the big scary TRUST word.  Now, the Lord knows this about me but I will let you all in on a little secret about myself….I have a hard time with trust.  Not trust issues that stem from people hurting me but more of a controlling kind of trust.  Like I can do it better kind of trust.  I know the right way to do something kind of trust.  Ew, just typing that out makes me feel ridiculous.  (Thank you, Lord, so much for my amazing, patient husband.  See ya’ll, the Lord knows what we need!)

Trust

So there it was, my word for the year – TRUST.  I kept thinking, I need to put on my big girl panties and buckle up!

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Now when I consider how trust fits in with the rest of my life, I see it as the result of a couple other things that are also hard:

1. TRUST

Trust is an acceptance of things that the Lord sends my way, whether I like it or not.  And in my mind this has everything to do with faith.

2. FAITH

Faith is trusting that the Lord has my back and is taking care of me.  The Lord knows what I need before I ask or even when I don’t ask.  How great is that?  SO GREAT!! (also a little unnerving for me) and when I can really begin to grasp the link of trust and faith, it brings me a great deal of peace.

3. PEACE

Peace can often feel like a deep heavy sigh. Whew!  But let me tell you, the fear and anxiety leading up to that peace is really hard to fight through.  I actually have this tattooed on my wrist.  It reminds me that remembering to be at peace with the Lord’s plan and trusting in the faith that I believe – even when that seems most impossible – is completely necessary.  It’s worth the internal battle!

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In this verse that I illustrated, I am so drawn to the word “understanding.”  I am often reminded in life that trusting the Lord, despite not understanding, is faith.  Belief in that faith that the Lord has got me, offers a huge dose of peace. WHEW!  Often times things happen that are not a part of my plan, but I can rest assured that they happen according to His plan! 

What word has God been helping you to better understand?

{New to Bible journaling? Check out these Getting Started posts Writing Your Heart on the Word &  Open Your Bible:  Let’s Get Started}

 

Mailing Forgotten Mail

Mailing Forgotten Mail

I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.

I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
Latest posts by Kristi F (see all)

As I was unpacking boxes once again in our garage, I came across a Romanian Bible. I purchased this Bible for a friend several years ago. His address is tucked inside, but somehow I never managed to walk it over to the post office. (That makes my heart sad.)

Have you ever done that? Purchased a gift for someone or even written a letter and then never mailed it? I seem to do this a lot. Keeping in contact with others when the postal service is involved seems to add a layer of difficulty that I have a hard time hurdling.

I’ll put the package in my purse (think over-sized black hole filled with diapers, a Bible, and other books) and forget to stop by the post office I drive by at least once per week. Or I think I’ve mailed the item, only to realize that it was all packaged and ready to go, but not actually mailed.

Mailing Forgotten Mail

Although I’ve gotten slightly (only slightly) better about this over the years, I have determined that any time I find one of those items that I took the time to purchase or write, I’m going to send it anyway. I attach a note letting the person know why I’m sending it now.

This may sound absolutely absurd and even embarrassing (and it is embarrassing), but I can’t help but think that even now it might bring that person encouragement or fall into the hands of someone who needs those very words.

Christ Knocking on Hearts

This leads me back to the Romanian Bible. I purchased it for a person I became very close friends with while living in Spain.We met at the congregation I worshiped with while living there. I sat in the “foreigner section” and he and I hit it off. We became good friends and had many long talks about the Scriptures. His story is absolutely amazing.

Christ had been knocking on his heart a long time.

His mother became a Christian and one of his very best friends became a Christian too. Seeing the change in his friend’s life brought him to where I later met him.  By the time we became friends, he had been attending worship for about five years.

He felt Christ knocking on his heart and wanted to answer, but did not believe he was ready to follow Christ yet. He knew he was a sinner and that he needed Jesus, but he believed he had to clean himself up before coming to Jesus. Been there and unsuccessfully tried to doing that! This is part of the reason why I think God placed me in his life. His sin struggles were different than mine, but we both had believed the lie that we had to be perfect to come to Jesus.

Once the truth is established that only Christ can save us from our sins, we then have to face the decision of being willing to allow Jesus to lead us away from that sin.

After about seven months, my friend finally made the decision to follow Christ no matter the cost. It was so exciting!

It was exciting to see him realize that Jesus meant what He said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:18

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

 

Pray Specifically Please

Something about reading the Bible in our native tongue seems to have more of an impact. Although my friend spoke Spanish fluently, he wanted a Bible in his language.  He really liked my Spanish/English Bible and wondered if there was a Spanish/Romanian or an Romanian/English Bible to be found. At that time, I couldn’t find one anywhere. it seemed difficult to find a bilingual Bible that had both Old and New Testament.

A few years after his initial request, I came across a Romanian Bible that had both Old and New Testament! It wasn’t exactly what he wanted but it was in his native language.

So here I am today, holding it in my hand, about to package it up, and praying over it.

I lost touch with my friend over the years because I have not been the best snail mail pen pal and he was unfamiliar with how to use the internet.

As I hold this Romanian Bible in my hand, I pray… and I would love for you to pray very specifically with me.

Lord, we praise you for all that you are! For being a God not just to the Israelites but to the whole world. You knock on each of our hearts asking to be given permission to come in. We praise you for those who have made the decision to follow you. We pray boldness and wisdom over all of us who have made this decision too. Let us daily meditate on your word and have courage to live out what you are teaching us.

We specifically pray over this Romanian Bible. I confess my lack of follow-through years ago when you initially put this Bible into my hands. My prayer is that my friend’s faith has continued to grow and that his love for you has sparked flames of faith in others. I pray that if he does not already have one, that this Bible will make it into his hands. And if he does possess one, that someone who needs to read your words in Romanian will receive it. We pray a seed of hope will be planted and that another legacy of faith will be established.

In the One who leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one that is lost – Amen!

And now I’m off to mail this forgotten mail.

What is God calling on your heart to do that you might have forgotten to do and are now a bit embarrassed about doing?

To Do: A Sacred Home

To Do: A Sacred Home

Hello all!I am an Oklahoma girl, through and through!I was born here and after 5 years in Texas for college, I missed Oklahoma too much and just had to come back home with my Oklahoma husband to raise our Oklahoma babies! I met my husband in high school and fell we in love in college.We have 2 beautiful kids that are full of life and make me such a proud momma.I love to craft, journal, paint furniture, and decorate our Edmond home!See some of my creations at The Lettered Light www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlight and IG:theletteredlight
Latest posts by McKenzie R (see all)

I have recently finished Jen Hatmaker’s book, For the Love.  Ladies, I am a changed woman!  I am so thankful I was able to start and finish this entire book, because I rarely see the last chapter of books of my choice these days.  It is funny and honest and authentic and AMAZING.

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I can really see that the Lord is going to do some big things in the people who read Jen’s words.  Please move it to the top of your reading list.  You won’t regret it!

While reading through it recently, one tiny little phrase left a longing mark on my heart.  She casually mentions “a Sacred Home.”  She doesn’t even go into any detail on what that means to her. The context was a just a brief mention of the phrase.  But when I read those words, my heart leaped!  I took the words from their context and put them right into the context of my life. And I believe that my home will be forever changed.  What a perfect goal, right?  To have a Sacred Home!

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I did a little bible journaling on my Sacred Home discovery!

I began to write down all the things that came to my mind when I pictured a Sacred Home. Immediately, I thought of dear friends of mine who have that aura, that beautiful spirit when I am in their home.

What does it look like, feel like?  My list began to look something like this: peaceful, calm, forgiving, love, gentle, God…  As I stared at my list a lightbulb went off in my head almost immediately–THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT! A Sacred Home is a home where I, my family, and any guests can see and feel the fruit!

Can it be that simple, Lord?  “Yes, simple–but not easy” was His answer!  Of course, I already try and make my house these things but until now I never made the connection to the fruit.  So of course it isn’t easy. If it were easy then everyone would love and never want to leave their peaceful home!

By definition the word sacred means “devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated; pertaining to or connected with religion.”  I love this.  Literally, having a sacred home means living in a place that is dedicated to our purpose as Christians!  Oh my stars…what a dream, right!

My dear friend Jillian says this about her home:

It is so important for me to have scripture–whether quickly jotted down on an index card or a beautiful piece of art–everywhere.  They are constant reminders to me to get my attitude in check.  Since sitting down and reading scripture is so difficult to do sometimes, I make it to where I can meditate on it while doing dishes, washing my hands, folding laundry, walking in and out of the house, etc.

My prayer for us, dear reader, is that we can find the fruit in our day.  The Lord has given us all the fruit of the spirit.  We ALREADY HAVE love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control inside us. But we must remember to access it.  We don’t need to pray for patience, we already possess it.  We don’t need to pray for gentleness, it’s already running through our veins.  I usually forget that, right?  So on days when it seems like you don’t have any goodness left, remember that the Lord has already supplied you with enough.

So, a Sacred Home…a home dedicated to my amazing Lord in Heaven, where living out the Fruit makes my days a little lighter, and a little deeper, and a whole lot more like Christ.

As a gift, I created a bit of scripture art for your home to get you going!  Enjoy!

Galations 5 Bible Art

If you have any ideas that help you center your home around Christ, please share them with us!

 

Gifts from God

Gifts from God

I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.

I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
Latest posts by Kristi F (see all)

As children we eagerly awaited Christmas morning, so we could tear our presents open and see the marvelous gifts that had been hidden under the tree.

As adults, do we still eagerly await our chance to open gifts?  Do we get excited to see what God has in store for us?  God is THE BEST GIFT GIVER of all he doesn’t need to wait until Christmas to bestow gifts to your soul.  He does it daily. Sometimes these gifts come wrapped in packages that we might not want to open.  Other times, we become like children at Christmas time unable to wait any longer until we can open those most wanted gifts.

Our Creating a Great Day team came together and created a special gift for you.  It’s a gift that we pray will open your hearts to the many wonderful gifts God may have in store for you or has already blessed you with.  It’s not an exhaustive list, but a wonderful way to dig into God’s Word for 5 minutes a day and refresh your mind, spirit, and soul to what the day holds.

Every day is a gift filled with amazing possibilities to grow and glorify God!  Our prayer is that you will not miss the gifts that aren’t neatly wrapped and placed under the tree but instead will openly welcome whatever gifts God is bringing your way this year.

So…we are gifting you a special 5 minute devotional Ebook that will help you focus on God’s great gifts!

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In the “Gifts from God: A 5 minute devo book”, you will be encouraged with:

  • a verse
  • a short devo thought around the verse
  • a prayer
  • a place to journal your thoughts and prayers
  • a space for Bible Journaling and
  • Bible verse memory cards

Check out the devos contained within the FREE Ebook:

  • The Gift of Ambassadorship by April Everhart
  • The Gift of Being Chosen by Kristin Jesch
  • The Gift of Immanuel by Kristi Finefrock
  • The Gift of Music by Toni Dennis
  • The Gift of Newness by Melissa Williams
  • The Gift of Refuge by Kristin Jesch
  • The Gift of Self-Confidence by Laura Peoples
  • The Gift of Trials by Kristi Finefrock
  • The Gift of Waiting by Kristi Finefrock
  • The Gift of Weakness by Melissa Williams

This is a great devotional to use now so you can keep unwrapping awesome gifts even after Christmas Day is over

OR

use it to kick off your New Year!

 

Get your FREE Gifts from God ebook now!
(If you are subscribe to our Creating a Great Day Newsletter, check your inbox.  Your gift is there waiting for you!)

For Everything There is a Season

For Everything There is a Season

Hello all!I am an Oklahoma girl, through and through!I was born here and after 5 years in Texas for college, I missed Oklahoma too much and just had to come back home with my Oklahoma husband to raise our Oklahoma babies! I met my husband in high school and fell we in love in college.We have 2 beautiful kids that are full of life and make me such a proud momma.I love to craft, journal, paint furniture, and decorate our Edmond home!See some of my creations at The Lettered Light www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlight and IG:theletteredlight
Latest posts by McKenzie R (see all)

Season of Change

My favorite season is fall, and I am so beyond thrilled that it seems to be knocking on our door!  Just as January brings a fresh start with a new year, I feel the same way about fall.  Maybe it is because I have started a new school year in the fall for most of my life and now my children’s lives.

During this season of change, I feel the Lord working in me.  I feel Him tugging at my heart to change some things in my life.  Isn’t it hard to listen to that voice?  Even though I love the fall, change is hard for me.

Seasons are Meant to Pass

I knew I wanted to do a fall-themed Bible journaling entry for you guys, so I went on the search to pair my fall inspiration with a verse I connected with.  When I came across Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 I knew it was perfect.  By reading this passage, I realized that there are all types of seasons and phases in life.  Seasons are meant to pass, not to linger.  When I feel stuck, I look for the healing phase to come.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

— Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

@theLetteredLight

acrylic paint and black pen

Make the Sandwich

Something my husband and I say when we need to make some changes is, “We need to go into the kitchen and make the sandwich.”  This is based on an illustration we heard once: “If you ask the Lord for a sandwich, He will feed you.  He will not make food magically appear. You must go into the kitchen and make the sandwich.”

Perhaps it’s kind of silly, but for me this works in so many areas of my life.  Maybe I want to lose some weight. God won’t do the exercise for me–I have to!  Or I want to eat healthier. God won’t cook the veggies for me–I have to!  Maybe I want to be a more present mother. God isn’t going to turn my phone off–I have to!  I want to start a women’s Bible study. God isn’t going to invite people–I have to!  Be sure and ask yourself these questions regarding the seasons in your life…especially the last one 😉

Do you feel stuck in a rut, ready for the next season of your life?

Are you ready to do your part to make the change happen?

Do you feel like the Lord is using you and your story to speak relief into someone else’s season?

P.S. Have you started your Bible Journaling adventure? We would love to hear about it!

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Check out these other Bible Journaling Posts:

Start Bible JournalingE Faith Bible Journaling Heart of Bible Journaling Sacred Home

Win Bible Journaling Supplies

Win Bible Journaling Supplies

I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.

I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
Latest posts by Kristi F (see all)

In preparation for the Bible Journaling workshop this Saturday, our excitement is growing.  So much so, that we’ve decided to have a Bible Journaling Supply Goodie Bag Giveaway!

What’s in the Bible Journaling Supply Goodie Bag?  Great question!  Take a look.

Bible Journaling Supplies

  • Tags
  • Stamp
  • Washi Tape
  • Water Coloring Set
  • Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush
  • Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils – 12 count
  • Pigma Micron 05 (.45mm) Ink Pen – Black
  • Coupon Card to apply paint. (If you attend the workshop, you will win the Chick-fil-A card, that can then be used for a free meal.  If not, then another card without any value will be included in the bag.)

So what do you have to do to enter to win?  Easy…

  1. SHARE this post on your Facebook wall
  2. LIKE our Facebook Page
  3. COMMENT on this Facebook Post

The WINNER will be announced at 9:00 pm Central Time Thursday, February 18 on our Facebook Page.

Don’t forget to participate in our Bible Journaling Workshop!

  • If you are local to OKC, come to the class in Yukon, OK this Saturday from 9:30am – 12:00pm.
  • If you are not local, watch us live on Periscope and ask your questions in real time.  You can click on the above link provided and watch us from your computer. If you want to ask a question or comment, download the Periscope app to your  phone and add us to your list. Our Periscope handle is Create_GreatDay.
  • If you won’t be available that morning, sign up for our newsletter to gain access to our FREE Resource page where you will be able to access the recorded video of the class plus many other wonderful freebies like a Scripture Art Printable by McKenzie.

Sign up for the class now , right here!

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