Wise Men Still Seek Him

Merry Christmas, Sweet Friends!!  I want to start my post today with a brief update.  I'm so grateful for the prayers you have covered me with while I have gone through chemo.  Trust me when I say, I have felt them.  My God has heard you and continues to sustain me through your love.  While my battle is not yet over, I am confident of this:  I walk boldly with the covering of my most powerful God who loves me and will bring me, again, into full health.  He is both before me and behind me.  He fights this battle and will always transform that which has been meant to do me harm, for good.  He will take what is meant for evil and bring about good all for His Glory.  He does this for me for I am His child; I am chosen and redeemed.   If you don't have this relationship with Him, He desires to call you child, holy and redeemed.  It is the Gift we celebrate now.  Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was born a baby--God became man to once and for all repair the barrier of sin and reconcile us to the One True God.  The Gift is yours. I pray you will accept it...from the bottom of my heart.

I also appreciate you checking out my art.  It is a great source of joy to me to represent Sweet 'N Sassy stamps and to share my projects. I wanted to share a few projects I created using both older and new releases from one of my favorite things, Sweet N Sassy Stamps!!

I created my happy little snowman wood slice using my favorite snowman image from an older set called Welcome Jesus.  While that set has since retired, the image is still available (lucky you!) as
Smiley Snowman Digital or as part of the Throwback Set:  Crazy About Snowmen.  This was such a fun project--I love finding new ways of using my stamps and this wood slice ornament piece is just perfect for gift giving---all you need is a drill to create a hole at the top and a bit of twine!

Who could get away from this time of year without a few handcrafted packaging ideas?

Thrill of Hope, Wood Backgrounds, Christmas Botanicals

Wood Backgrounds, Winter Birds, Mini Tags and Sentiments

My family and I are praying you experience the true meaning of the Christmas Holiday--the Love and Peace of our Savior.  It is my deepest wish that you are surrounded by love and good memories when those you love are no longer here.

Blessings, Jane 

Faith Moves Mountains

Hello Sweet Friends!  I'm sharing this project today and asking you to please join me in prayer.  Today, I am receiving my last chemotherapy dose. Praise God!  I've been blessed with healing so far, but there are mountains left to climb.  Will you join me in praising our Great Physician and join your prayers to mine for continued, full healing?

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"  Psalm 27:13

As I move into the next phase of my treatment--surgery--my faith remains strong--strong enough to move a mountain!!  God's word tell us over and over again about trusting Him.  His promises are clear:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"Sovereign Lord, you are God!  Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant."  2 Samuel 7:28

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

He's working it out--my straight path, filling me with hope and the power of the Holy Spirit.  I've experienced it first hand--when I am weak, He is strong.  When I call out to Him, He is there.  He is with me wherever I go, strengthening me, resolving my fears, giving me strength.  Praise Him with me, won't you?

One of the best therapies I have is crafting--it's why I always have a project to share along with some of my thoughts.  Both are a good outlet for me.  I'm so grateful that you stop by to see what's going on in my little part of the world!

I'm so in love with this card--it turned out even better than I imagined it.  It's a simple one layer-ish card. I started with the beautiful wood grain image from Sweet 'N Sassy's December Stamp of the Month set, Wood Backgrounds.  I added a blue bird from the Winter Birds set (also from Sweet N Sassy STamps) and a sentiment from Faith.  It makes my heart happy to create with such lovely things.  The only thing better will be having the right reason to share it with someone else.

Be blessed and a blessing this day. Because of Him, Jane

New Mercies

Hello Sweet Friends.  I wanted to share to share some art and some thoughts with you again.  I made this sweet frame for a friend, a prayer warrior; someone I lost touch with years ago who has re-emerged as if not one day has gone by.  As we've rediscovered our friendship, I have been continually struck by her strength and her strong abiding faith in the One who promises us new mercies everyday. 

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him."  Lamentations 3:22-24

Each day, it seems I'm given a new perspective from which to ponder this truth.  Yesterday, for example, I went to a funeral.  It was so very sad. So many parts of that precious time simply broke my heart.  For my friend who lost her husband; for their children.....But, honestly I'd be lying if I said I didn't walk away refreshed in my hope.  My friend's husband--he understood hope.  But not the hope we have in this world.  That everything will work out the way we want it to.  That we are happy and have enough and live a long life.  No, that was not his hope.  His hope was in the Lord, deeply, profoundly, despite his physical pain and the completion of his life here--he remained steadfast in his hope and the promises made to him by his God.  He had so many earthly reasons to be angry, to refute the God who heals, for bitterness, but that was not part of his story.   Each moment of the service spoke of the hope that he relied on; the hope he entered into when his life here was done. It was inspiring and life giving.

Is the Lord your portion?  Do you hope in Him?  When you fully surrender to Him, your whole world shifts.  You are a new creation enjoying his steadfast love that never ceases.  Not here, not ever.  Can you imagine what it is like to be loved like that?  I can.  I pray the same for you--

I wanted to thank my warrior friend for HER steadfast love and the many ways in which she has sustained me during some of my darkest times.  Each Friday, she wears pink in support of me and breast cancer awareness.  She sends me the most adorable pictures!  So, using my favorite floral image from Sweet N Sassy Stamps, Mason Jar Bouquet, I water colored this home decor piece being sure to color the focal roses in the same beautiful pink she always wears.  I used distress inks for all of the water coloring and then added a sentiment from Be Encouraged.  I hope you are--encouraged :)

In Truth, Jane

I got crafty with: