Blog Categories
Respite For the Weary
Have you ever wondered what God's favorite colors are? Greens and Blues? Reds and yellows? Maybe its all the colors of the rainbow? Or maybe its every single color, with every shade and hue. After all, he created each one with his perfect imagination!
From the beginning of Christmas Morning, I was asking God himself to pick his choice colors for the pages of this children's book. I personally see in black-and-white words, so my creativity in the world of art is close to nothing. I knew this story needed God's divine touch in order for it to come to life.
As I was praying this specific request, I also "happened to be" in the book of Exodus in my daily Bible reading plan. And it is in these pages that I found three (if not four) of his "favorite" colors! Over and over again, God chose these colors:
You shall make the tabernacle with the tent curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns... Exodus 26:1
And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen...Exodus 26:31
You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen... Exodus 26:36
Contextually, God is instructing Moses how to decorate the tent of meeting--a place where his presence would reside among his chosen people while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Figuratively, my heart's desire is for God's beautiful truth to reside on every page of Christmas Morning.
So there you have it! Blue and purple and scarlet became my color scheme, hand picked by the Divine Decorator himself! And to add to it, the fine twined linen is the white line that is intentionally drawn throughout most all the pages of Christmas Morning. (I wrote about the meaning of this white line in my previous post: https://www.respitefortheweary.com/post/the-making-of-christmas-morning-backstory-and-the-white-line. .
Here is one more fun and awesome fact-- another word was repeated in these same chapters of Exodus:
They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Exodus 25:10
You shall make a table of acacia wood. Exodus 25:23
You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. Exodus 26:15
Now, can I remind you that my illustrator's name is Acacia? I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe in God's intimate and intentional instruction toward his dependent and faith-filled children. Acacia, who also happens to be my daughter-in-law, is the person who God has appointed to bring Christmas Morning to life through his sweet and holy touch. I am amazed at how he is working through her!
God is in this book. His glory is what I want to come out of every page, every word, and every stroke of color.
I could go on and on, but instead, I will stop here and say, "Stay tuned."
There is more to come in the making of Christmas Morning...
I am pleased to announce my NEW BOOK:25 Years, 25 Lessons: Letters to a Bride from a Seasoned Wife
This decorative coffee table book is for any married woman. It provides foundational insights to newly weds, and it offers basic reminders to those who have been married for decades. The pages are full of beautiful images accompanied with Scripture based letters concerning on-going lessons that I have learned in my own marriage. Some topics are: be an encourager, put on love, and laughter. I invite you to be blessed by God's directive word within the pages of this book.
25 Years, 25 Lessons can be purchased on-line: www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com
They are also in Hot Pink in Brentwood, TN and Oak&Willow in Nashville, TN.
There is a familiar expression, "You can't put God in a box." Agreed. The God of the Universe can never fit in a man-made contraption comprised of mere ideas and speculations concerning His character. If you want to know God, read His word; there, you will find Him. And there, if your heart is humbly willing, He will never stop amazing you with His unbound grace and free flowing love.
BUT, Godcan "put us in a box." Listen to His words of truth:
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. I Cor. 3:11
You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5-6
So we, as Christians, stand on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. When we believe in Him, our footsteps become unshakebly firm because of His truths beneath us. And as we walk step by step, God Himself puts His protective hand behind, before, and over us. We are enclosed on all sides; not constrained as some might speculate, but enclosed with the marvelous mystery of who He is and what He does.
Inside these borders are His wisdom and knowledge, His compassion and kindness, His security and peace, His faithfulness and steadfast love...and these attributes of His character are unending. It doesn't matter what goes on around me, as long as I am hemmed in by His hand. When I dare to step outside of His boundry, the weight and the struggle and the pull this world hits me full in the face like a fierce wind in a winter storm. So quickly, I step back inside to find His warmth once again.
You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance. Psalm 32:7
Yes, God of the Universe, I want to thank You for grace-fully putting me in Your "box", now and forever.
Our lives can be compared to one large puzzle, with God Himself being the puzzle-worker. All the pieces are present from the beginning, and there is a beautiful masterpiece waiting to be put together by its Creator. He knows where each piece fits, and He knows exactly when to put it in its place. Every piece is different in shape and markings; some are bright and full of color, while others are drab and dreary, serving as a neccessary backdrop to the revealed glory by its side.
Do you trust your Puzzle-Working God? In other words, do you undoubtedly believe that God knows best in both the timing and the order of your days? Or, do you find yourself becoming impatient, wanting to yank the "puzzle pieces" from His hand and do life yourself? Be careful, the bible teaches that there will be consequences to this method. Think of Sarai, Abram's wife, who decided to take matters into her own hands in order to fulfill God's promise of bearing a son (Genesis 16).
Do you find joy in your Puzzle-Working God? Or are you upset with Him because your picture is not the one you would have picked for yourself? The bible speaks of this as well in the Potter/Clay analogy: You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing?" (Isaiah 29:16). I know there have been specific times in my life when I have had to beg the Lord to change my embittered clinched fists to joyful hands of praise... and He gracefully answers my repentant prayers.I encourage you to rest your impatient hands and your questioning heart in a God who is fully trustworthy and entirely faithful--even in the drab and dreary times of your life! These pieces, too, are a significant and irreplacable part of your beautiful picture. God promises hope and contentment in His word when you just can't see or understand what He is up to in your days. There is no challenge too difficult or no project too confusing for this Grand Puzzle-Worker. He longs to willingly and winsomely create your life's portrait, piece by piece, peace by peace.
Monday
Picture: Tree (the seed and roots)
Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9,18-23; Jeremiah 17:5-8
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Take a quiet minute to focus on the underground elements of a tree: the seed, the soil, and the roots. With this in mind, consider the importance of being spiritually planted in God’s rich soil.
Where is your seed planted?
How deep are your roots?
Write a prayer using the daily verses as a reference:
Wednesday
Picture: Tree (the growth process)
Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-13; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 92:12-15; 1 Corinthians 13:11
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Think about a tree’s growth process, one that starts as a small sapling, but after many years, it slowly reaches its flourishing maturity. Just as a tree withstands the various seasonal weather changes year after year, our spiritual growth also endures various kinds of circumstances in each season of life.
Are you wiser today in your understanding of God and His word than you were when you first came to know the Him? In what ways?
What are some (positive or negative) circumstances in your life that have caused you to grow in your faith?
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
Monday
Picture Scripture: Vessel (the Creator/Potter)
Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 119:73; Psalm 139:13-18
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Take a minute to meditate on a potter sitting with his clay at his wheel getting ready to create a new vessel. This master potter is full of knowledge and experience. Likewise, our Creator is all knowing and good. He designs with purpose and intention. His amazing specialty is His unique touch that He joyfully places on each and every living being.
Who are three people in your life that you admire due to their uniqueness? Explain.
What are three ways in which God has uniquely formed you? Be confident and thankful.
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things passed away; behold, new things have come! II Corinthians 5: 17
Dear Lord,
May your powerful love control us! Give us willingness to die to ourselves daily, and then to live in step with your Spirit. Help us to cling to the beautiful truth that old things have passed away; and yes, new things have come! Cause us to walk in this newness of life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.