On a Personal Level

Helen Keller was right on so many levels with that comment. 
The unseen world is a scary place. We fear what cannot be seen or touched. She lived in it all of her life and found the spirit within and her heart spoke to her in ways those with sight can't see. Many refuse to believe there is such a place in this day and age. The human spirit is oft talked about as is the Holy Spirit and yet few believe in a spirit world. It is a very hard subject to write about without something to hold, touch or see as proof of it being real. That does not mean it does not exist. In Psalm 31:5 David commits his soul into Gods hands. In Luke 26:46 Jesus declares from the Cross "into your hands I commit my spirit" then died. In Acts 7:59 Steven declared as he was stoned to death, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." There are many more examples in scripture. Is our faith so weak as to think there is no such thing as spiritual existence?

I have been posting about the spirit in our lives and living in the spirit on the community level. It begins with the individual, YOU. Despite what you may think or been told it does not and cannot begin without you surrendering to the Holy Spirit of God. (Romans 10:13) It is not going to be a "grab you by the scruff of the neck and shake you into submission" kind of happening. YOU have to make that decision to ask for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to come into your life. In a way it is a selfish thing to do because you want something better, something more fulfilling in your life. Giving yourself to God through Jesus and the Holy spirit is humbling and something that many seek but few find or experience. Fulfillment. It is fulfillment of emptiness that power and possessions are unable to satisfy. This is where each individual is unique in their experience with the walk in the spirit. This is not a promise of riches, of worldly things or self gratification or any worldly thing. For most it is not instant in its results but something to be grown into. Walking in the spirit means becoming a reflection of Christ in your life, in fact a way of life guided by the Holy Spirit. It is a leap of faith. It is where faith grows stronger and your sins are brought to light, confessed and forgiven. It is where the heart can find fullness instead of emptiness. If there is a christian community near you be sure to begin your walk hand and hand with them. Have you the faith to step into the care of Christ? 

Today I have several Images I colored for a friend. Since childhood I remember my grandmothers hollyhock garden. They have been a favorite ever since. They have a paper look that has been a fascination to me. I did some research and the color pallet for them is considerable. some 40 to 60 colors are available. As with most flowers blue is not one of them. Since there 10 images I will spread them over several posts. The stamp also has a matched die You can find them at Taylored Expressions. There are ten variations and this is the first three.

Copic Colors

RV14, E30, Y13, Y18, YG09, G14, 0 to lighten for contrast

                   Copic Colors

RV69, R00, Y18, YG17, G14, YG09, 0 to lighten for contrast

Copic Colors

Y18, Y13, R00, RV69, YG17, G14, 0 to lighten for contrast

That is about it for now. Remember to always Love The Details.

Community

The above quote above is amazing in many respects. Anne Frank knew her chances of being found and killed as a Jew during WWII were high and yet she still chose to see the beauty of the life around her. This was a girl that had everything to live for. She chose to see the bright side of life. (Philippians 2:5-8) “⁵ Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. ⁷ But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, ⁸ he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.” I can't help but believe that the spiritual beliefs instilled by the Jewish community she came from had a great deal to do with that. A community cannot impart such a strong sense of faith and belief without a spiritual base. Why would I say that? Religion of and in itself is subject to the interpretation of the people governing the community and therefore it is also subject to the moral foundation of those same leaders. The Hebrews, before the destruction of their homeland by the Romans, were ruled over by the Pharisees and Seduces. The only thing they were interested in was money, position and control of the people. In short they were focused on self not the people. It was all based on strict adherence to the laws passed down through time. Jesus on the other hand was here to set them free from that control and to tell them about God our father and His desire for us. Religion alone is not something God wants for us. A Spiritual community is. This is a place where the spirit can grow and be set free. (Hebrews 3:13-14) "¹³ Every day, as long as this today lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, ¹⁴ because we have been granted a share with Christ only if we keep the grasp of our first confidence firm to the end." The spirit of Jesus and Yahweh are not the spirit of control but of freedom. Read scriptures and learn from them. Put aside the cares and troubles of this world. Let the full word of God come into your very being. This is where healing begins. It is the beginning of a spiritual walk and the knowledge and wisdom that God wants to impart to us. That freedom is the place where Christ and the community meld and become one. It is a place where love and caring for God and His people become all that matters.  This is what the spiritual life is. It can only happen in the community of brothers and sisters with the Holy Spirit. {Matt. 11:28; John 7:37; Acts 17:27; Hebrews 4:12; Rev. 21:6, 22:17. (All references are from the Jerusalem Bible and may be slightly different in your version)} 

This post I have two cards to share with you. The first is from Em. She included it with her anniversary card for August 31. This is for my birthday on the 15th of this month. It is a genuine work of art. The picture does not do justice to it. Thank you Em.

Somehow the background got washed out in the flash. I used a ring flash which usually eliminates shadows and enhances the image.

The next card is from my sister in Arizona. 

    
Since I my photo enhancing program stopped working with windows 10 I also lost my ability to correct and enhance images. The programs I am using now lack the feature set I need to do what is needed.

That is about it for this post. Remember to Always Love The Details.

What Now?

Last post was about what our purpose in life was. It was also mentioned how the ancient scribes saw the world they wrote about was different than the way we perceive it today. The main difference is how the ancient's language was understood. What I am finding is that for them words have usages not meanings. By that it means words are defined by how they are used not by a dictionary definition. Many words change meaning depending on the usage. I will not get into this beyond this. Our dictionaries are huge since almost every word has a defined use and meaning. It is why the bible we use today in many ways does not convey the complete meaning of the original Hebrew text. It is also partly why the words of the Lord are alive with meaning. 

My study and research has taken me on some unexpected paths. It is very revealing to understand how the ancients saw their world and understood what God was telling them. In our time and experience we fall short of understanding the original Hebrew's perception of their world. They were much more spiritual than we are today. Our world is based on religion instead of spirituality. The saints understood the spiritual way of life. Being spiritual is understanding that the body we occupy is only a vessel to grow in spiritually. How that spirit grows and matures is what matters. The body is not eternal but the spirit is. The body will return to the earth it was formed from but the spirit will be free from the body to join the Lord or be banished to Hell. Living the spiritual life is to live as our father in heaven teaches our spirit to live. We are spiritual babes not yet born. Our bodies are our cribs. Our bodies get worn and battered throughout our lives. The spirit within feels the pain and strain of a world that does not accept us. Our teacher is the word of God through Jesus Christ. Spirituality is learning to hear through the spirit the voice of Christ as He guides us on our way. It is the spirit within that is the "I Am" that is the you and I that is being born. In the spirit our path through this world is assured, not guaranteed to be without trial, but assured when the spirit within is hand in hand with our Lord Jesus. For me this world is but a stopover, a necessary port of call, on the path to heaven. I am still learning my spiritual place and how to hear the voice that guides me. I am stubborn, easily distracted and sinful. The spirit within is willing but the flesh is weak. The hand that is in my hand is the risen Christ Jesus. He is my spiritual guide. Make Him yours as well. 

Today I would like to share a mini journal that our dear friend Em of Creative EM sent Jill and I for our anniversary. There were two of them, each personalized with our names. Very clever and artistic. It is an honor.

Front

First page - First section

Last page - First section

First page - Second section

Each of the two sections have 9 pages, enough to record special events without any problem. Thank you Em. You are a gem and a special friend.

To all of the friends who visit, Thank You. Your visits are a treasure. Until next post, remember to always Love The Details.