Psalm 34:2-9

 

      2 I will praise Yahweh from my heart; 

         let the humble hear and rejoice. 

      3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, 

         let us acclaim his name together. 

      4 I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears. 

      5 Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame. 

      6 A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, 

         saves him from all his troubles. 

      7 The angel of Yahweh encamps 

         around those who fear him, and rescues them. 

      8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good. 

         How blessed are those who take refuge in him. 

      9 Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; 

         those who fear him lack for nothing. 

The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Ps 34:2–9). New York: Doubleday.

It is not a matter of right or wrong but of faith and belief that drives the devotion we feel for our God. Sinners though we are we also know we are loved and forgiven. It drives us to be as perfect as we can be in this life in the knowledge He is always going to answer us in our time of need. It is hard to fear a God who is loving and forgiving. It is easy to fear a God that will punish a rebellious evil minded sinner. God wants a child that will love Him back and love those around them. After all He created them and loves them every bit as much as he loves you. He created all of us.  

This is an image that my DW made a card from and posted back in April on "Ribbon Challenged". (April 14, 2021) The colors seen here are somewhat off as a result of the photograph. The stamp is from a magazine called  "Creative Stamping." Issue 93. It was fun to do but as any image like this it took a little time and patience.

I purposely tried to keep the colors subdued instead of going kaleidoscope crazy. The Copic colors are:

YG41, R32, YG91, R14, G14, Y17, Y26, Y04, BG34, E81,E29, BV01, E23

I pray the good Lord has been kind to you. My He bless you always and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details." God bless.

Psalm 118:22-24

" 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

23 This is Yahweh's doing, and we marvel at it.

24 This is the day Yahweh has made, a day to rejoice and be glad."  (Quoted from the New Jerusalem Bible)

This Psalm is dear to me on so many levels. It is the reason for picking the quote above. The fact that every day is special, in fact, holy on every level. Every day is a gift and should be taken not for granted but as a gift. Every day is unique and will never be exactly repeated. Complaining about it will not make it change, even though we know it will change. Nothing remains the same. Just because it may not suit us does not make it change to what we want. Our course through life is reliant on how we adjust to the day we are in. Yahweh is in charge, not us. Christ is our example for obedience in this life. He was rejected by the establishment but in reality he was the cornerstone of the Christian community. Many in this day and age have rejected the Christian way of life. Many Christians forget that we are to love and be kind to the less fortunate, the downtrodden of the world. Many so called Christians complain about the sinners of the world and put them down instead of being the example they need to be. This is living in the day we are given and being glad in it. We all fall short of the walk in the Christian way. We should not be the cause of others falling away but the example that draws them closer to Christ and the realization of the day that is the Lord's. Being joyous at the dawning of a new day is being glad to be alive and a Christian. How is your day today? Will you smile and be happy no matter the circumstance? Will you be the example of kindness to someone? Remember that this day is a gift of grace from Yahweh. It is a marvel that we were graced to experience it. The blessing we receive is not to be hoarded away but shared. Rejoice and be glad in it.

My DW, JD from Pausa, asked me to color the image I am going to share. She may have already created a card with it. The Copic alcohol inks can be a problem if they are highly fluid. The colors I chose were just that and they bled over the lines in several areas. It was a fun image to do despite that problem. 

The Copic colors used are: 100, R59, Y28, YG23, B34, E19, T2, W0

Sometime down the line I would like to try this one again on a different card stock. The image is small so it will still be challenge.

That is it for this post. Have a great day and enjoy the summer days. Thank you for stopping by and hopefully commenting. May God bless you and yours. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Existence

 

Some days are difficult to get through when everything seems to be either bland or empty of excitement or things that stimulate us. Lazy days or cloudy dreary days for example. On these days it seems we are on our own and the Lord has left us for whatever reason. Even if we seek Him out it is as though there is no answer from Him. Have you ever considered that maybe we are looking in all the wrong places? Is it possible that maybe that is the problem? We are busy and He is saying STOP? Be still and listen to my voice! It is at those times He is closest to us and speaking in a voice that cannot be heard if we are too busy. (1 Kings 19:9-13) Those who have learned to be still and listen for the whispers of the the Holy Spirit have learned they are never alone. I am most often awakened early in the morning with an urging to get up, go to my computer and write these posts or open my bible and read or to read my email and pray for someone in need.  Almost every post is written that way, this one included. Our existence should be the joy of telling the world of the existence of Jesus Christ and His love for us. Our father in heaven Does exist and it is we who are blind and unfeeling at times. I cannot imagine not feeling His presence, being assured He hears our conversations or just knowing a friend is always near. It is lonely when we forget He is near and that He exists. This is true of those who say God does not exist. It is important to always live because He exists and not as if He exists. The one is real, the latter is pretend. 

This card was something of a group project. My DW received the phone die cut as a gift from Darnell from djkardkreations. Jill had no numbers to use on the dial so she asked me if I had anything. I found some electrical numbering tape that fit the bill and used a leather hole punch to cut out and number each insert. I also used some white ink to highlight the legs and handset covers. If I had thought about it I would also have punched out the number holes on the dial to recess the numbers. Punching out the numbers and attaching them was something of a challenge in themselves.

All things considered it turned out pretty well. Jill did a great job with the card. 

That is it for this weeks post. Please leave a comment . Remember to always "Love The Details" and God Bless.

Looking Back

 

 

Looking back to that point in time in 2014 when this blog was begun there was an apprehension of "what am I doing". I didn't know what I was doing or what I could possibly have to share that others would find interesting. The insecurity felt was palpable and almost crippling. I have shared that I am not someone who likes being on stage or in the limelight. My DW often told me I would have made a good monk or hermit. In the beginning I had an alter ego named Cherokee. (My father often said we had American Indian heritage) In the beginning it was this alter ego that made the blog possible, less intimidating. As time went on I became uncomfortable with a native American alter ego and just phased him out. I thought about reviving him on occasion but it just didn't feel right. The path in front of me was taking shape and calling me forward. I gradually retreated to get my spiritual life back on track. In 2016 I fell in my back yard while doing yard work. It nearly cost me my life. It was also a very special experience that gave me more focus in the direction I needed to go. At the end of 2019 or early 2020 I suffered a silent heart attack. It was discovered when I went to have my blood pressure checked at a local clinic. I was sent to the hospital emergency room and spent the day there while they worked on getting my blood pressure to an acceptable level. It was well over 200 and the probable cause of the heart attack. I was sent home at the last minute and to the doctor the next day. I am now on two blood pressure meds and one heart med. I thank the Lord for every day and am trying to share it with those looking for something more. There is far more to the walk in a life. We are here for such a short time and others can benefit from what each of us can share from our walk with Christ. The word of Christ is vital to where we are going and to who we are all becoming. There are others that have experience far more special than me. Some share and some are closed to sharing the walk they are on. For me it is important to give what I can. Thank you to everyone who has shared the walk with me. You are far more special than you know.

This image is one that my DW gave me to color. I have no specifics as to where it came from but the colors are listed after the image.

This was done as a fall image. It is not the best of coloring but it is eye catching. The Copic colors are:

R35, YG06, YG09, G03, G05, BG70, E23, E27, E31, T3, W2, Y18

I hope you like it. That is it for this post. Remember to always "Love The Details." God bless and Keep you always.

Sadness

 

How many times have you had a great experience and felt a letdown when it ended? How sad were you at the passing of a friend or acquaintance? How did you react to any special loss? It is in our nature to mourn or feel sad with a loss of any kind. The loss or passing of a special person in our life can be traumatic to be sure. There are times when we must mourn that loss to be able to move on. (1 Corinthians 15:27-33) Some losses are of material things. They may consist of things we worked hard for or that have great sentimental value. Loss of these things does not, in most cases, remove their memory since they were only reminders of those events. We all have those losses in our lives. Take heart and move on for life does not wait for anyone. What is done is done. (Sirach 39:16-31) All things happen for a purpose and all that happens works to strengthen us for our walk in this life and the next. This is but a stopover on our birth into an eternal life. Do not be sad. Rejoice in the fact that we have had the experiences and the companionships along the way. Thank the Lord for the blessings of the day. (Psalm 118:24) 

This image has been shared in a previous post. It is another example of my needle work. I was so taken with this image when I saw it that I had to have it. When we tried to purchase it we were told it was no longer available. My DW kept looking for it and found it in the most unexpected way. She stopped into and craft shop with a friend. It was crammed to the ceiling with crafty stuff. On a whim she inquired about a needle work called the prophet. She was shown several items but not the correct one. Then the clerk remembered something she had that was not out where it could be seen. In the back of the shop where DW would never have found it under other products was the only one left of "The Prophet." She bought it as a gift for me. It has been a treasure to me ever since.    

This image was not an easy one to do because of the gold metallic thread. It kept breaking. It didn't want to be threaded through the needle either. I am still thrilled to have it hanging on our wall. I hope you like it. There are no specks for it. It was many years ago that it was done.

That is it for this post. Remember to always "Love The Details." Have a great week and God bless keep you always safe.

Unforgiven

 

There are many in this generation that are caught up in the cancel culture, tear it down and get rid of it. If there is anything in the past that is not to their liking or it was not of a completely innocent nature then it must be removed. What that says of them is that they have never learned to forgive. It is agreed that some things others have done deserve no honor or remembrance erected to honor them but some have served the nation or others in a positive way that has created the need to remember that accomplishment. The quote today says it all. The greatest of us have all done things that are in need of forgiveness at some point. Self forgiveness included. Is it that the deed in need of forgiveness finds no forgiveness of ones self? Then how can that person find forgiveness for others? Is it that forgiveness has been absent for something done in your life? Has it grown as an abscess with pain, anger and hate? Forgiving can lessen or remove that pain, anger and hate. Call yourself a Christian? Not if you have no forgiveness in your heart! We have just gone through a celebration of ultimate forgiveness. EASTER! The requirement of that sacrifice is forgiving others and  yes forgiving yourself. (Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:15 & 18:21-22) For you to be forgiven requires that you forgive. Do you  partake of the body of Christ at church services? (Matthew 26:28) Do you say the Lord's prayer? (Matthew 6:14) We need to remember that we are not perfect either. How many more reminders do we need? There are many, many that can be given, the greatest of which are in scripture. Tearing down reminders such as statues or plaques or causing products to be renamed or other items may remove the reminders but the hate, pain and stain of unforgiving hearts will not go away until forgiveness is learned and practiced. It is a practice that is an integral part of  Christianity. It is what Christianity is all about. Love cannot be experienced to its fullest without it.

Today I would like to share a second image of a the stove I  shared last post but done in more vibrant colors. Now is the time to practice forgiveness. Life is short so give me a break on this one. If it gets a "Whoa" or "You have to be kidding" that is OK. Now you know the reaction of Jill on this one. She says she likes it. It was fun. I know I know, He has lost it. Have a look and you tell me.

I don't think these colors were available back in the day. If they were there would be a lot of divorces in the works. LOL. Here are the Copic colors:

The "0" blender pen is included because the paper bled on some of the colors for some reason. It was needed to erase the bleed over. More colors were used to help tone down the brighter shades. I think there are more "fun" stoves in the future. Lord helps us all. 😊😉 That is it for this week. Keep safe and remember to always "Love The Details." God bless.

The Unseen

 

The above quote is hard to envision yet we believe in a God and a Savior we cannot physically see. Some would say we hope but it is more than hope that drives us toward Christ. Notice in the picture above what appears to be rings around a pile of rocks in the middle. They are not rings. It is a spiral path winding from the outside into the center, ending at the pile of stones. If we stay on the path through life, not turning left or right we will arrive at the central destination of eternity and eternal life. (John 20:29) "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."  If you are paying attention to what happens in your life you may find that the unseen is very visible, just not in a way you would expect. Prayers answered even years away from the request or possibly immediately. Our unseen God is ever present, ever attentive, ever loving. All praise and glory to Him for being our savior, our steady companion, our keeper. The more our eyes and thoughts are focused on Him the more he is felt in our presence. His absence is experienced only when our focus strays from Him. He has not left us, we have left Him. His word is His presence as much as His physical presence. If you allow it to live in you, you are never alone. 

Today I would like to share an image I have done once again. There are quite a few versions of this image that were done and posted. Unfortunately I have no idea where this image came from. The photo does not fully represent how this image pops off this page. It is something else. 

Copic colors: 

That is it for this post. Have a great week and remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and keep you safe.

Worthy

 

I have heard on several occasions the statement "They are full of themselves". In truth, we are all guilty of it at times. At other times we are not. It is important to know the difference between confidence and arrogance. Confidence and humility can go together but it is difficult to keep the arrogance from entering in. Paul alluded to humility (Acts 20:19) and that gentleness was the sign of it (Ephesians 4:2). Pride is the sign of arrogance (1 Peter 5:5). It is not wrong to to have pride in the workings of the Lord. If it is self pride there is no humility. The word for this post is worthy. It is not something we can earn or are due like wages. Being worthy for our Lord is a part of His grace and not a result of our labor. Paul was confronted and brought low, (Acts 9:3-18) humbled, for his persecution of the followers of Christ. Though broken, his heart was changed and he became one of the most prolific of Christians. He was gentle but firm in his belief that he was saved. By firm I mean unwavering in the path he took to bring the gospel to his world. He was ever humble and gentle. His pride was in the Lord and not himself. To be worthy is to be chosen by the Lord who sees the true heart within. To be worthy is by grace alone.

Today I would like to share an image picked up from Digital Tuesday. It is labeled as daisies but in fact I think is is a bouquet of mums. Daisies have fewer petals. This was a challenge to color.  

I say that because it took a full day to do. Each petal, bud, stem and leaf was done separately. That was to preserve the colors and eliminate streaks or lines the inks would generate. It is a fun but very time consuming coloring project.

There are only a few colors but the detail is what makes this image pop. The Copic Colors are:

W3, Y35, G07, RV34, YG09

That is it. I hope you like it. That is it for this edition of "Love The Details." May God bless and stay safe.

Tomorrow

 

Have you ever thought about the what tomorrow will bring? Do you count on tomorrow for your dreams to be fulfilled? Have you ever looked back and thought, "If only." Yesterday is what could have been. Tomorrow is what might be. Today is. Allowing the moment to slip away in the here and now is a travesty of our life. Unlike Christ we have no inkling what the future holds. It may never come to be a reality. The moment is too precious to allow it to slip away unnoticed. We as Christians need to realize the moment we are in is all we really have. It is OK to dream but we only have the moment we are living in. We should begin our day in thanks to the Lord for His blessings and grace. Dreams can be expressed but they are never guaranteed. The future is not a certainty and the past is not changeable but the present is both. It can be savored, enjoyed or rejected only while it is lived. It is one of the blessings we are graced with. What we do with the moment becomes our past and creates the possibilities of our future. Thank the Lord.

I know I have shared some of my needle work in the past seven years. One of my ultimate favorites is Called "The Prophet". My dear wife searched for this for some time b ut no one had it since it was discontinued. I was very disappointed but she gave it one last try when she was in a little craft store in Allentown, PA. The shop was a jumble of items from front to back, floor to ceiling. When asked if she had it, she went to the back of the store where it would have never been found and found it. It was given to me as a present. It is the prized piece of art work for many reasons not the least of which is that it was an answered prayer and a gift from the heart from my DW.

I looked on the internet for the company that produced this but it is not out there as far as I can see. It is an impressive image. The gold streaks were VERY difficult to do. The thread was a true twisted metal that broke more often than not. This hangs in our downstairs hallway. 

Thanks for stopping by and thank you if you left a comment. They are much appreciated. God bless and remember to "Love The Details."

On Birthdays

 This is a very special wish for you, my DW, on a very special day.

You are the special gift of you. The years have come and gone but the love we have shared over the years has remained planted in our hearts and grown in ways not expected. It has     become the life we never knew we could have. It is permanent, inseparable, one that was once two. If the world were this way there would only be joy and happiness.

Happy Birthday.

Love Always

Blessings Forever,

Hubby