WOTY--Serve

I've been preparing for a pretty big surgery for the last year--one exact year from the day of my first surgery--January 8th.  As I celebrate the healing my Great God has given--one cancer free year!, I'm taking the next steps toward full restoration.  I would be so grateful for your prayers.

I would never begin to pretend the last year has been easy, but it has been good in so many ways.  My word for last year was surrender.  Believe me, I've practiced surrender over and over, every day.  I continue to practice. :)

I got my word for this year pretty clearly a few weeks ago.  If I were in charge, I think it would have been something else.  This selfish heart only wants to sit at the feet of Jesus and be filled.  Yet, I know He has a purpose and call over my life that is not self focused.  It is active and real and starts with His command to "love one another".

My word for this year is "serve".  I'm wanting to figure out what this means.  In what ways will I be pushed beyond what is comfortable in the service of others?  I'm perplexed.  In the aftermath of my surgery, I will be dependent on others.  How will He have me serve?  I can't seem to wrap my head around any of it, but my heart is open and I know the One who has called me so, I will follow.

I always photograph the back of my faithdex card before joining it to the front.  I like the thickness and durability of the doubled up card stock. And, I like recording both sides together--it feels complete.  My verse from 1 Peter is from the Complete Jewish Bible:  "as each one has received some spiritual gift, he should use it to serve others, like good managers of God's many-sided-grace."

Many-sided-grace.  Amen.

I chose a simple design for the front.  I apologize for my photography!  In real life, the card and colors are more vibrant--I just can's seem to capture it correctly on film.  Please check out my instagram @stampymom5

For some reason, the colors seem more realistic in that platform.

I've used many sets from Sweet N Sassy Stamps:  Itty Bitty Blossoms, All Your Heart, Bitty Minnie Alphabet and Faith Wordfetti.  To make my florals, I created some colorful backgrounds using my gelli plate, then stamped the images and trimmed them.  I do still love me some fussy cutting!

What's your word of the year?  Feel free to share in the comments along with any prayer requests you may have--In Him, Jane

Hope

You may have seen my finished faithdex card when I shared it on Instagram (you can follow me @stampymom5) on Christmas Day.  Today, I thought I would share the rest of the story.  I've thought about starting a regular creative feature where I show you how I resurrected some project after a major mess up or goof! I certainly seem to have a lot of them!   I'm telling you, Sisters (and Brothers?) I painstakingly water colored this faithdex card.  And, I loved it!  The florals from Happy Irises at Sweet N Sassy Stamps are fun to color!  It was going to be fabulous.  I was proud of it.  I couldn't wait to share it.  Kind of like me trying to go my own way sometimes...you know?  Just one last step--add the sentiment from The Future set (also from Sweet N Sassy Stamps).




I may have CRIED. OUT. LOUD.

This is not an optical illusion or fuzzy computer screen--this is the real deal.  I was just about to start over, when that little creative voice whispered--fix it.  I surrendered to the process and found myself better than where I started. 

Just like in real life, the Word came to my rescue.  I pulled a page from a thrift store bible straight out of the sermon my pastor had preached that day--about Hope.  This little project was a great reminder to me of how God works with our broken pieces.  Battered and torn though we may be, He uses it all for His glory.  And, Hope came down so we could be restored.

I will hope in the character of God.  His plan, His provision, His love, His will.  Let it be.

I finished the backside of this card with more iris images and Sweet N Sassy Stamps from Typewriter Block Alphabet and Trust In The Lord.

Did you notice the sentiment?

It is better to Hope in the God who controls all things

that to despair in the things that are out of our control.

Let us Hope.

In Him, Jane

Sweet N Sassy Stamps December Hop!

Welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps December Release Hop! There's another fabulous release in the SNSS shop that we've been stamping with and we're so excited to share our projects with you! Hop along and leave a little comment love for the designers linked below and you might just be a lucky winner! One lucky comment from all the comments along the hop will win a $10 gift voucher to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps shop. Winner will be announced on the SNSS blog, Monday, December 23

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog

Julee Tilman

Cathy McCauley

Ceal Pritchett

Diane Zechman

Jane Bosi  (you are here!)

Lee Ann Barrett

Lucinde van Ballegooijen

Lyn Tomlin

Sheri Gilson

This month's release is so fabulous, it was hard for me to choose what I would feature for the hop!  I am 100% in love with that little flamingo from the Happy Camper set so I decided to land there!  This is a great set, very versatile, and you can see works well with many other sets.  I've used it to create a faithdex card and some greeting cards.  My Sisters have used it for bible journaling also--the possibilities are endless!



 Happy Camper, Texture Tiles 1 (I'd get the bundle if I were you!) Faith Wordfetti

 I'm showing the back of my faithdex card too.  I always do a front and a back as a way of recording and working on memorizing the Word.  The back also uses Doodle Florals and Texture Tiles 1

 Happy Camper

Happy Camper and Home For the Holidays

My prayer this Christmas season includes all of you.  I have THIS hope and wish it for all of you.  May the peace of Christ and the goodness of our Great God be with all of you!  Pray for one another and be blessed.

You are off to see what Lee Ann Barrett has in store for you!  It'll be awesome--100%

In Him, Jane

November Blog Hop - Sweet N Sassy Stamps

Welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps November Release Hop! There's another fabulous release in the SNSS shop that we've been stamping with and we're so excited to share our projects with you! Hop along and leave a little comment love for the designers linked below and you might just be a lucky winner! One lucky comment from all the comments along the hop will win a $10 gift voucher to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps shop. Winner will be announced on the SNSS blog, Wednesday, November 20. 

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog

Julee Tilman

Cathy McCauley

Ceal Pritchett

Diane Zechman

Jane Bosi  (you are here!)

Lee Ann Barrett

Lucinde van Ballegooijen

Lyn Tomlin

Sheri Gilson


I know I say it every month, but this is my favorite release!!  So much fun to create with!  I'm featuring new release sets along with other favorite holiday sets!

New release Christmas Wordfetti and We Three Kings

 New release Christmas Wordfetti and Scene Silhouettes: Trees

New release sets Christmas Wordfetti and Cheerful Snowmen

New release Christmas Wordfetti and Winter Birds

Be sure to leave some comment love at each stop for your chance to win!! Stay tuned for Birthday Bash fun all month long!!

TTFN, Jane

Coffee and Jesus, #amen

Hey, y'all!!  Happy November 1st!!!  Yikes--what happened to fall?  I'm super excited today to play along in the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  Be sure to head to the main page and see all of the fabulous Super Sponsors!!  I'm honored to be part of the Sweet N Sassy Stamps team (one of the Super Sponsors) and made a little faith-dex card to play along with the hop!!

The phrase "revive me" always makes me think of Jeremy Camp.  This morning, I listened to a podcast featuring Jeremy's story, I Believe.  This guy is the REAL deal!!  You can find the podcast by searching for GPS (God People Stories)--it's part of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Group.  It was so uplifting--I want everyone to hear it!!  Anyway.....

Focusing on Psalm 119: 153-154, I created this faith-dex card using a few goodies from Sweet N Sassy Stamps:  Typewriter block alpha, Faith Wordfetti, Jesus & Coffee and Fill Me Up.

I'm using my faith-dex obsession to record my favorite verses....lol!  I love it all, so can you imagine what it will be like when I'm done (if that's even possible!)?

Psalm 119: 153 & 154

"Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.  Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise"

#amen

In other important news, Sweet N Sassy Stamps is celebrating a birthday!  

Thanks for stopping by!!  TTFN--Jane

With Every Breath

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!.....Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Psalm 95

Friends!  Are you listening?  Our God is alive and active and He hears our prayers; He answers them!  I work with school age kids in a mental health day treatment program.  It's not an environment in which I routinely am able to speak the name of Jesus, but I pray for the kids we serve.  Sometimes, I pray very specifically for a child who has particularly grabbed my heart.  Will you join me in prayer for "my kiddos"?  God is working!  About a week or so ago, I prayed specifically that He would open a door that I am not able to open myself.  Today, that prayer was answered when my client showed me a self made tattoo of a cross.  I don't approve of the method (really thought I'd be doing a safety assessment) but the next words I heard were "Jesus loves me!"  Just the door I had prayed for and the ability to speak His name.  I needed that door just as much as my client.

How precious is our Great God?  In answering my prayer for another, He gifted me with the real and present proof that He hears me.  You know, sometimes, I just need that.  And, I'm grateful.  Grateful to bury another reminder of His love for me in my heart.  A reminder I'll draw from when the desert comes again.  Because it does.  But God.  He's always there; working even when I don't see it or feel it.  Sing Praise!!

I spent some time in my Psalm Journal using a bunch of goodies from Sweet N Sassy Stamps.  My layout features the Happy Scarecrow, Texture Tiles 1, Incredibly Blessed, Forever & Always, Sing Loud and the October Stamp of the Month, Grateful Heart.

Sing!  Be Blessed, Jane

October Blog Hop--Sweet N Sassy Stamps

Hello, Sweet Friends!!  It's time for another blog hop from the Sweet N Sassy Stamps team where we will share our hearts and inspiration featuring our October release!  It's a good one, my friends!!  If you haven't started from the very beginning, now would be a good time to do that.  I'm sharing the whole hop list to make it easier and to make sure you don't miss any of the inspiration!

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog

Julee Tilman

Cathy McCauley

Ceal Pritchett

Diane Zechman

Jane Bosi (you are here)

Lee Ann Barrett

Lucinde van Ballegooijen

Lyn Tomlin



Wayyy back in 2016, I made my first Rolodex card featuring the Sweet N Sassy Stamps set His Wings (I still love that set!).   Little did I know then this would be the next great wave in Creative Worship!  Armed with a few new rolodex dies (Heidi Swapp), and Fall in Love with Jesus, I am all in for this new stampy trend!  I love the smaller format and, especially, the focus I've decided to use to store my favorite scriptures!  The back of this faith-dex card bears the scripture from Jeremiah 31:3

"the Lord appeared to him from far away.  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."



For this non-traditionally colored Thanksgiving card, I've combined the leafy elements from Fall in Love with Jesus and a sentiment from So Grateful.  I used a distress ink technique to add color directly to each image, then spritzed with water to create a loose water colored look.

Finally, I used those same leafy images along with Rhubarb's Harvest, Texture Tiles 1 and the Chunky Alphabet to adorn this page in my hymnal.  The colorful background was created by dragging different colors of oxide inks across the page.  Simple, colorful--makes me happy!

You'll save 15% all month on all of the sets in our Autumn catagory--check those out here!  And, have yourself a great, inky day and enjoy the inspiration shared in our hop!  Be sure to leave a comment at each stop for a chance to WIN a $10 gift code for the SNSS store!

The next stop is Lee Ann's fabulous blog--enjoy!

TTFN--Jane