recent accumulation
I’ve been posting recently on Instagram (sharing to Twitter & Facebook)… but I know that not everyone is on those platforms, so here are some drawings I’ve done in the last month:
HYMN JOURNALING
BIBLE JOURNALING
through Proverbs {#drawingcloser} [3]
I am currently reading through Proverbs with the purpose of Journaling.
It is a book full of applicable sayings that are {mostly} simple to illustrate. Is that cheating? 🙂
I made this decision last Friday, thus, beginning on Proverbs 3.
Also, I do not do much studying on Sundays… perhaps that is slacking of me, but that’s the way it is for now.
On to some verses that stood out last Friday.
” [13] Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
[15] She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
[33] The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”
Godly wisdom, as we learn throughout this entire book {and all of Scripture}, is something that comes only from God. There is no age limit and there are no experiences that can create true Godly wisdom.
So when we get the understanding and find the wisdom that only comes from ready, studying, meditating and truly learning and applying God’s Word, we will find happiness.
On Wednesday evenings at church, we are studying the book of Leviticus… and learning that HOLINESS is what brings HAPPINESS. This is basically what this means.
In our flesh, we all desire riches and all manner of wealth; but only when we seek God and study His Word and learn His Heart can we find actual peace and lasting happiness.
Surely, this world offers a fleeting fun, happy feeling, for a season [Hebrews 11:25]. But it is just that… for a season, fleeting, a feeling. It is not deep and abiding and everlasting.
Also, as a wife and mother, I desire a blessed habitation. As one who is home most of every day with my children, I desire a HAPPY habitation to. 🙂
And I have found, through days of striving to study and apply Scripture and then days of sorely lacking, that these principals HOLD TRUE
– every – single – time!
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I’m also on Instagram!
{starting back up just for sharing Bible Journaling!!!}
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through Proverbs {#drawingcloser} [10]
Last Friday I was struck by the thought that words can be violent. I mean, I know it… I’ve heard it, experienced it even [on both sides].
But still, often, people [myself included] do not really think through what is getting ready to come out of their mouth.
When I am allowing my Lord to speak through my mouth, my words will bring life… a LOT of life [as in, a WELL] to those to whom I am conversing.
Proverbs 10:11
I pray the Lord pours forth LIFE from my mouth today!
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I’m also on Instagram!
{starting back up just for sharing Bible Journaling!!!}
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through Proverbs {#drawingcloser} [21]
This verse from yesterday speaks a couple of different thoughts to my heart.
One is that righteousness and mercy co-exist.
Ok-that one is still on soak.
Proverbs 21:21
Another is that FOLLOWING righteousness leads us to FINDING righteousness. I think this lends to the idea that we will never attain “being righteous” -which reminds me of this passage:
10~As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11~There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12~They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12
And then… mercy, coupled with righteousness {which is still on soak} also leads to LIFE & HONOR. Who doesn’t want life? or to be honored?
And that leads me to some other passages:
4~But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5~Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6~Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7~That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according according to the hope of eternal life. 8~This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Titus 3:4-8
Our works will never save us. God is the perfect example of this righteousness and mercy existing together, in harmony. His mercy is new each day… but He is also eternally righteous.
It is because of Jesus’ perfect righteousness & mercy
that I can even have a hope of entering heaven.
But, while our works will not get us to heaven, they WILL glorify God and be profitable.
I don’t know about you… but I want:
~to find more righteousness than I currently have
~to gain eternal life and have treasure [honor] to lay at Jesus’ feet {another thought I didn’t really explore here}
and ~I want my life to be profitable!
So I will continue to soak on “follow after righteousness and mercy”…
….what does this verse speak to you?
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I’m also on Instagram!
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where I am today…
a mother’s law {day 1}
My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
and forsake not the law of thy mother:
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,
and chains about thy neck.
Proverbs 1:8, 9
cute?
When I read these verses this morning, I was struck by them from a different angle than I have been in the past.
Normally, I think:
these are for me as a child–I should not forsake the spiritual upbringing my parents gave me. I think of children in general, even my own children, and how they need to learn to listen and obey-and I must teach them this.
oh MY!
But this morning, I noticed the words the law of thy mother
-not that children should listen and obey but what they should listen to and obey.
As the “mother” here, what is my law?
Law means regulations, standards, rules, guidelines, doctrine.
And my law as mother should line up with God’s Word in principles and doctrine.
My law should be the same as Jesus command in Matthew 22:36-40: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!
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Many of my 31 days will probably come from the Proverb for the day because I decided that this month I wanted to get back into the habit of reading a Proverb-a-day. But we also have special services this month in our church… and the Lord often speaks to me through situations that arise with my children!
deliver me {day 2}
…to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things… Proverbs 2:1-12
We must seek after God’s Words and hide them in our heart in order to acquire knowledge and wisdom
But just having God’s Words in our head {memorized} does not automatically make us wise. I am sure most of us know examples of that.
We must incline our ear and apply our hearts…
which indicates a heart issue of even wanting to have God’s wisdom.
Only when my heart is right in applying God’s Words will discretion preserve me from the evil man and from the man who speaks frowardly [to lead astray, be stubborn or disobedient].
My desire for today is to allow God to work on my heart so that His Word can be applied... and my ear will be inclined to hear His leading so that I may teach my children also to hear God’s voice for themselves.
thine own path {day 4}
Let thine eyes look right on [on your own path], and let thine eyelids look straight before thee [literally, right in front of you]. Ponder the path of thy feet [think about where you are going], and let all thy ways be established [this will strengthen what you are doing]. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left [don’t be looking around while you are walking your path]: remove thy foot from evil [that will protect you from evil].
Proverbs 4:25-27 [added]
Something that is often a difficult lesson to learn, whether by child or adult, is that of keeping our eyes on our own path.
The lesson in these verses is something we are working on in our children’s lives. It is natural enough for them {all of us} to notice when others do wrong. I do not discourage them to gently and only one time tell a friend if they think they are doing wrong. That is friendship and kindness. After that, it is the authority’s responsibility to notice and take care of it {with the exception of violence-that is always to be made known to an authority, immediately}.
But because noticing others’ faults is so very natural, this lesson is necessary to learn. It is for children to learn that they must be responsible for their own path. Us too!
Often, when there is a “sight to behold” of something or other, one or more of my girls will literally walk into a wall in order to keep gawking. Turning around to see another child be scolded, straining the neck to watch some activity that seems strange… all these distractions are too much for them to watch AND know where they are headed! To carefully see something, they must stop. and not continue on their path.
The same is true spiritually. We must all learn to look at our own path. I must teach my children by example to keep my own eyelids straight before me, lest I be straining to see another’s fault and slam into a spiritual brick wall…. it is just as painful spiritually as it is physically! And if I am to take time to notice something in another’s path, I must stop. I must stop my own forward progress to see someone else’s path. This often leads to evil {my judging unrighteously of another}.
So, for today, I am re-focused on keeping my eyes on my own path {which includes my children’s paths :)} and teaching them by example that our first and most important responsibility is our own path {actions}… not someone else’s.