Be today

Our church had a great festival last weekend (see it here) where we worshiped God and heard some very inspirational speakers.  One of the things that really spoke to me was that we need to do and be today the things that we are hoping and dreaming to be and do some vague time in the future.  This has got me thinking (and journaling!) - what are the things that I'm still  hoping for in the future?  What can I do about it now?

Here is my art journal page:

I added my home made texture paste through the chevron stencil on one wide and wiped the residue on the other, then played with more stencils, stamps and doodling:

I stamped the title:

and journaled inside the hand:

After last weekend I've definitely got to try and GO FOR IT!

I'm linking up at:
Art Journal Every Day
 Create with Joy Friendship Friday

Create With Joy

I was amazed and delighted to be chosen as this week's Featured Friend over at
Create With Joy Friendship Friday with my post Struggle Well.

Create With Joy is a wonderful site full of inspiration and encouragement.  You get the chance to share your own creativity/inspirations whether its a piece of art, or a photo, or writing or whatever takes your fancy. If you haven't yet discovered it I urge you to pop on over and see.  Its a great community.

Struggles become Springboards

In my last post I wrote about struggles and wanting to 'Struggle Well'.  We all go through struggles but its what we do with them that counts and will mean whether our struggles will make or break us.  As a Christian I turn to my God in my struggles.  He provides me with the strength and courage I need to get through whatever the difficult situation is.  I can look back at certain periods in my life and see how God helped me.  In fact at times He wasn't just helping me by giving me strength to endure but by making my life take an unexpected turn out of that difficulty which resulted in great blessing.

With God setbacks are springboards into something better and obstacles can become wonderful opportunities.

Here is my art journal page:

The pinkie backround had been in my art journal for ages - some spare colour from another project which I'd scraped here.  I added stencils in blue, black and white.  I started to do the blue raindrops upside down by mistake but this was a springboard moment!  I added more raindrops the right way up in blue.  Then I added  more all over the page with my white home made texture paste but the 'wrong' way up or should that be down :).

Why were the wrong raindrops a springboard moment?  Because the 'wrong' raindrops' became raindrops bouncing back up - illustrating perfectly how good things often come out of bad! :)

'We know that in all things God works for good with those that love Him,

who are called according to His purpose.'

Rom 8: 28

 

If you are going through a struggle at this time I pray that you too may be able to receive the strength and help that our amazing God provides.  May it be to you a springboard and an opportunity into something better.

I'm linking up at:
Create with Joy Friendship Friday
Art Journal Every Day 

Struggle Well

We all go through struggles - its part of being alive!  Its what we do with our struggles that will make or break us.  I want to be someone who 'struggles well'.  For me that means praying and trusting in God to see me through.  I know He wants to give me the grace and strength to endure and overcome - I just need to learn to do this whatever struggles come because sometimes I allow things to get the better of me.

Here is my art journal page:

This page has lots of layers - I didn't like what I had done initially so covered it all up with gesso and started again.  I added my home made texture paste through the hollyhocks stencil and I really like how the covered up layers just show through.

I added the stamped tag for interest and used the flower heads to stamp a border:

The apostle Paul definitely struggled well:

'through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God.'  2 Cor 6: 5-7

 Reading this verse puts things in perspective!  My struggles pale into insignificance!

Paul said:  'I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.'   Phil 4: 13

 My prayer today is - God help me to do this!

May God help you to struggle well too.

I'm  linking up at:

Art Journal Every Day 
Create with Joy Friendship Friday 
That's Crafty - Stamping Ground challenge
Inspiration Journal