Jesus Calling - July 23

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

It is frighteningly easy to get caught up in the darkness of this world. Your time with God each day is a beautiful way to refocus on the light, fill yourself with God's fire, so you can go share it with the world.

For today's craft, I would suggest you incorporate candles. My favorite candle craft involves using candle decorating wax to personalize any plain candle. You can then use your candles during your devotional time or give them away to someone who might appreciate a little more light in their life.

I like to use Stockmar Candle Decorating Wax sheets. You can cut them into shapes to stick on a candle. Another technique is to warm the wax with your fingers to mold it or smear it onto the candle for a unique effect. I have had my wax sheets for nearly 20 years and they still work, as demonstrated at the base of this taper candle. I recommend starting with a small candle and a tiny pinch of wax to get a feel for the medium. A little goes a long way. You can later move on to bigger candles if desired. I used this same box of wax to decorate the unity candle for our wedding 18 years ago!

Still plenty of wax after all these years

Our unity candle has fewer nicks and dents than our marriage :)

Jesus Calling - July 9

"Listen for my voice" is the theme today in Jesus Calling. Today we took some peaceful time to sit with God's voice. To really focus on his words and let them become our own. We chose to meditate on Love and what God intends for Love. We got out our pretty markers and copied 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It was a long passage, so if you have a child with less patience for writing, I would suggest choosing something shorter. But this was just right for us today. Using markers required all of our concentration to avoid mistakes. Any mistakes we did make were a blessing, helping us get deeper in that word and looking for even more ways to be creative and beautify the Word.

Jesus Calling - July 6

"... the place where you are standing is holy ground." God says this to Moses in the book of Exodus as he speaks to him from a burning bush. How is God speaking to you today? Notice His voice speaking from around you. You, too, are on holy ground. Use your art (a sketch book, camera, water colors, or words) to capture God's voice in this moment. It's usually not as dramatic as a burning bush, but if you are attentive, you will hear. If the people around you are noisy, God is reminding you that He created them in His image and they are holy. Is everything silent? Do you hear your breath and the beating of your heart? You too are holy.

Count your blessings Jesus Calling - July 2

Summertime. What a perfect time to... start a new blog... add a new pet to your family...attend a camp... spend time with family and friends. God has certainly blessed us this summer! When we pray together as a family, it's a great time to think about things we are thankful for. I am thankful that so many wonderful opportunities are keeping me away from this blog, including the beautiful summer weather. I'm also thankful for this hot day to sit inside and write a few entries while my kids attend Bible camp. Photography and art are fun ways to reflect on our blessings. Here are some things we have been thankful for lately.

Our new pet bearded dragon

Babies

The collage was inspired by the Jesus Calling devotion on July 2nd. (My son would have you know that he wanted to add more, but ran out of time.) We were using art to show how God had made our lives masterpieces. What form of art would you choose? What would your masterpiece include? Enjoy pondering these questions and creating your representation of God's good work in your life.

Jesus Calling July 1

What a perfect theme for today's devotion. I haven't been taking the time to blog for the last few days and today is about fighting for your time with God.

Today make bath time = God time if you, like me, are struggling to squeeze in the extra time for another activity. Put some bubbles in. Say a prayer over your child's bath time, asking God to cleanse them inside and out.

If you have time for a craft (my daughter will always make time), grab a bowl, drinking straw, paint, paper, dish soap and water. I've had more and less success with this activity depending on the type of paint. You might also try food coloring.

1. Mix soap, paint, and water in a bowl. Be generous with the paint and soap, but it needs water to thin it enough to blow bubbles in it.

2. Put the straw in the bowl and BLOW! Warning, it would taste disgusting to suck it in, but it happens, especially with young children :). Blow a heap of bubbles so high they are almost overflowing. Like your love for God and His love for you are overflowing onto everyone around you.

3. Press the paper onto the bubble heap, making a print of bubbles on the paper.

4. Optional: Put a photograph of yourself in the center of the bubbles after the paper dries. Or draw a picture of yourself with crayons or markers.

Jesus Calling June 26

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me." -Psalm 23:4

What is something you fear? Is it the dark? Heights? Dogs? Speaking in front of groups? Being alone? Spiders? Snakes? Report cards? It seems that there are so many things to fear in this life.

Draw a picture representing your fear.

Paint over it with God's love to show that God is always with you. As you paint, talk about how the thing you fear might actually be a blessing to you. You might also discuss how your fear is blessing, a way that God helps you stay safe.

Jesus Calling June 25

"He will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17

What a beautiful day it was for today's Jesus Calling devotion. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a nice, warm day to be outdoors in the sunshine, cooling off in the shade and the refreshing breezes. The clouds were white as fluffy cotton. Flowers were in full bloom, filling the world with color. It was easy to see God was blessing us today. And yet, isn't every day beautiful in its own way?

To extend this devotion, spend some time in nature. Write a descriptive paragraph about the natural beauty God has blessed you with today. Or get out your camera, as I did, to capture some of the beauty. You could then practice some photo editing techniques by cropping your photo, playing with color treatments, making a collage, or adding frames. Print your finished product or send it to someone with a kind note to bless their day as well. I'll post my photo here for you!

Thank you for following my blog. I hope you have a beautiful day!