1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I Belong to God

Hey there! Long time no posting. So yesterday was my birthday and it was wonderful. Today was a fabulous day at church and I am so thankful for both that I thought I would post on a Sunday even though I don't typically do so.

I love a good Bible Study. I am usually involved in a formal study with a ladies group. We usually have something going in our Life Group (aka Sunday School). Pastor has a series of lessons each week in church. AND I usually feel led to explore a theme or book on my own. So for the foreseeable future I will be sharing verses from one of those areas of study.

Today's verse comes from my personal study of our identity in Christ.

I had a conversation with a good friend and she was talking about what the Bible says about who we are in Christ. As I thought about this I remember thinking do I really know what the Bible says about my identity in Christ? hmmmm

Then my friend said, "And if we know what the Bible says about our identity in Christ, do we believe it?"

WOW - knowing vs. believing. There is a difference. I heard a sermon by Matt Chandler and he said you can know something without it being followed by action but if you believe something it shows in your actions.

Hmmmmm do I believe what the Bible says about who I am in Christ?

And then my friend said, "Do your behaviors line up with that belief in who the Bible says we are in Christ?"

Wowser!

Or do we allow habits and emotional baggage to conceal who we are in Christ?

So, I looked up what the Bible had to say about my identity. I used my friend's three questions as a guide starting with What does the Bible say about our identity in Christ.

I prayed about and read a lot of verses and statements. I ended up with 21 related to this first question with this first verse being the bedrock.

I Belong to God

You are not your own for you were bought with a price. 

I started thinking about slavery and how people were purchased in exchange for money and without a say in where they were going or what they were going to do. Only their master knew.

I made a choice to accept the price Jesus paid for me that allows me to belong to God. 

Now am I willing to live like I belong to Him? Am I willing to go where He wants me to go? Am I willing to do what He wants me to do?

He paid the price.

Okay, y'all, I had big plans to post this month and it just hasn't happened. Truth is, I am a wife, mother, and daughter before anything else and this month those roles have demanded more time than normal. There have been oral surgeries, visits to the doctors to see if fingers are broken, husband traveling, and helping parents get to doctor appointments and whatever else was needed. I have also been finishing up a new stamp set that should be ready within a week or two.

I am thankful that I have a sweet husband, wonderful children, and supporting loving parents.

My birthday is coming up in a few days, and I really want to have a verse done for my birthday!

Here's hoping
While I haven't been able to do what I had hoped this month, I have still spent each day thinking about what I am thankful for.

I think Gratitude falls into three areas: Spiritual, Big Life Things, and all the little things.

God

God's love for us

God's Word

Family

The Church

My church family

Our Home

Our health

All the things we have that make life comfortable

Friends

smell of a clean house

gentle rain on a spring day

coffee in the morning

children laughing

a good night sleep

lazy morning

a good movie

a great book

books

hugs

a good meal with good friends

Life isn't easy, but it is sweet.

Thanks for understanding.

1 John 1:4

“We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”   -C.S. Lewis

"...the delight is incomplete till it is expressed."

I read this quote months ago and was struck at how impactful that last bit is.

When I came upon this verse (1 John 1:4) I felt certain that it must have been the source of inspiration for the C.S. Lewis quote. Now, I don't know that to be true but it certainly is in the same vein. It also hit me how very true this is for me! I simply cannot be contented to hold good news close. The things that bring me great joy, I have to share. This verse is why I started this blog. Bible Art Journaling has brought me such joy, but it felt incomplete without sharing it with EVERYONE I come in contact with! So, I am writing these things so that my JOY may be complete!

I am thankful for expressed Joy.

I created this page using painters tape run through my big shot with an alphabet die. I adhered the letters to the page and used watercolor pencils around the letters. I added water and it got a bit muddy where the colors met. Once it dried, I went over the whole thing with regular colored pencils. By adding the colored pencils I was able to brighten the colors and help the blending. I added some shading to the painter's tape letters. 

I didn't do anything fancy with the rest of the lettering -just my own handwriting. I love doing interesting lettering in the margin, but there is a time and place for a more relaxed way of creating my favorite verses.

Wishing you a blessed and joy-filled day!

1 Peter 3:15

but gin your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, halways being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and irespect,

I love this verse. It came as a bit of a shock the first time it registered with me. It is loaded and heavy. I don't mean that in a bad way but I think of it like a lawyer preparing for a trail. A good lawyer has to prepare an argument. They have to think of the arguments the other lawyer may make and prepare to answer them. That is a responsibility we each have-that is the heavy part. But smack dab in the middle of that responsibility is HOPE. Be prepared to explain why you have such HOPE in you. 

Share with others why and how you carry such HOPE within you.

Isn't it beautiful?

I LOVE this verse and the duty it charges us with. 

I am grateful for the HOPE I have because of Jesus. 

I created this page very simply because I was trying out something and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I used painters tape and cut out the letters for HOPE using my big shot and an alphabet die. I adhered them to the page and colored my sunset. I removed the painters tape and added some shadows to the letters. 

What are you thankful for today? 

What are some of your favorite verses that express your thankfulness?

ThanksLiving

Many years ago,(2008) on another blog I had (http://notes-about-nothing.blogspot.com/2008/11/month-long-gratitude-challenge.html), I posted everyday in November something I was thankful for. I printed off the pages and made a little book of the posts. It is one of my favorite things. 

I think it is time to do it again with fresh eyes. A lot has changed in 7 years -and a lot has remained the same. It will be strange to repeat this exercise.

I won't be posting everyday because I can't create verse/pages that quickly, but this falls in line with a series of sermons Pastor Josh will be giving and I borrowed his idea. Since it is what I will be immersed in this month, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect that here. I think it is great preparation for the Christmas season.