365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 226

Both my kids are rebelling big time against me taking any photos of them. I've got a very precousious 9 year old and a much bigger than me 15 year old so it takes some determination to get any photos done. I can't help that I love taking pictures. My hubbie says it makes mom happy and we want to keep mom happy. LOL! It's just one of those things in life that bring me joy, something I love to do. We all have those things like curling up in bed with a good book or having coffee with a friend or making cakes, quilting or scrapbooking. Most of them are solitary things to do but there are a few like my photo taking that can include the participation of others. You can't make anyone do what they don't want. We all have choices. My kids can choose to make faces rather than smile or stick out there hand or turn-away quickly but in the end I still get a joy from doing it and laugh at some of the results. Being in the bible can be like this.... You can read it and feel joy but also feel at times the negative faces made or the hand in the face moments when you come upon something that can make you feel uncomfortable, something that may uncover the sin you have been hiding away or baring the hurts from your past. And just like my photo taking of my kids with their attitudes gives me some fun results, being in the Word will do the same for us. I like to think of it as my therapy time with God. We all need therapy. We just have to admit it and do it. Get in the Word and have some therapy today and enjoy the results.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped for every good work.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 221

As I pondered what to write, I looked up at my wall of scrapbook pages and all the photos, all the memories and a sadness came over me for the families that lost their homes this week to the fire. I know that for me, considering my memory is not so good, that these photos and scrapbook pages mean the world to me. Your kids grow up so fast. It really all does go by in the blink of an eye. But there are those moments that you capture on film or nowadays, digitally that show who we are as human beings. What it really is showing is a glimpse of God. The joy you see in faces, the love you see in the hugs and arms around each other, the smiles of those you love and who love you, the experiences that are captured that show how much the Lord has blessed us with. God is everywhere, within our lives if only we open our eyes to see it. And even if you don't have the photos or scrapbook pages to look at, we have the present and the future to look at and see and feel God. Praise to God for being with us at all times.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. -- Psalm 46:1

Father's Day 2012

 

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 180

Last night I was attempting to load some photos from my camera of the latest designs in God's Good Gifts faithbooking workshop series but I was having some trouble. It wasn't showing my camera in the drop down to select where to get the photos from. I tried closing and turning off the camera a couple of times without any success. "Bedtime" I heard from above, so I left without successfully figuring out the problem. As I got into bed, I asked my hubbie if he could take a look at my computer in the morning because I couldn't get my photos onto the computer. The first thing out of his mouth was, "did you check to make sure it's plugged into the computer. Oh no! I knew immediately that that was the problem. I have done this before but had forgotten until now. This makes me think of how people may think they are connecting with the Lord by going to church every Sunday but do they walk through the rest of their week truly feeling connected. Jesus said "remain in me and I will remain in you." Connection to our savior is meant to be a constant, not a one-hour a week kind of thing. The Lord has a camera of photos to share with us but we have to be connected to him to receive the photos. Are you making the connection to the Lord everyday, every moment?
John 15: 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

God's Good Gifts-Freedom in Christ Design Sample #1

Created us Anew

I created this project because it is something I wanted to be reminded of everyday but it seemed like a good starting project for this faithbooking ministry. If you would like to make this at any upcoming crop, you will be able to choose from other paper packs and find colors that suit you. This layout only needs a photo of you as a baby and either a current photo of you or you can use a mirror like I did. I will be framing mine for a wall so that I can look in the mirror everyday and read the words to remind me that I have been created anew in Christ.

This is from the Roxie paper pack which will be continuing in the new catalog being launched on Feb 1st but be sure to check out any of the other paper packs and stamp sets as most of them are going away.

If you want to make this at any upcoming FTLC crops, the cost will be $12 which will include a full paper pack with 6 double-sided papers and 6 coordinating colored cardstocks. If you are far away and would like to make this scrapbook layout, I can mail you the supplies and instructions for $15 plus shipping or you can order any paper pack directly from my website www.ctmh.com/janinerobertson and I will email you the directions.

Faith to life connections are everywhere!

It really is amazing how many connections I am finding with my faith to my life since I began this committed journey with faithbooking. Part of this is the committed part. It has to be something you work into the time you have each week. With the sermon series layouts I have been doing, I take notes during the sermon, than on Monday I will reveiw those notes and write my own thoughts and feelings and any photo ideas that come to me. Wednesday we meet at the church for our small group time so after that I can apply any new thoughts and feelings to my notes but by than I am pretty well sure on what I am going to do with my layout so I get the photos found and downloaded to Studio J so I can work on it at work on my breaks and hopefully by the next Sunday I am ready to start it all over again. I dropped the ball this last week because of my shoulder pain mostly and lots of stuff going on but I did get my notes done and so now it's just a matter of getting my photos ready to go and doing the layout so why am I here... off I go to get into the book of Matthew.

In the beginning..

God created the heavens and the earth. God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. I am starting off my journey with this ministry because light is not only very necessary for life but also without light we have no visual, we would not be able to see anything and certainly would not be able to capture anything on film. God gave us this blessing of light and being able to see his creation with all the wonderful colors and textures and he gave us the ablility to capture it on film. Our memories are a huge part of ourselves and the photos of those memeries gives us a visual we can go back to again and again. The visuals in our minds fade away and become gray and distant. So, our photos give us back a connection to where we have come from, where we have been and can perhaps give us a glimpse to where we are going. I have a strong desire to find deeper and deeper connections to my Lord and King. Being a scrapbooker for almost 15 years, I have delved a little bit into tapping into how the Word of God connects with my life through scrapbooking and the day has come to really committ to digging into this and helping others connect to the Lord through this meduim and connecting to other believers. I pray that this ministry will be a blessing to myself, my family and all those that become a part of it.