Revival Camp - Part III

What I've accomplished:  I finished the Revival Camp!  This is a big step.  In my first entry you'll see that I faced some serious spiritual warfare with this camp.  It was such a challenge for me to go through each week because I was distracted, unmotivated, tired, and not interested.  Yet every single time I opened my field guide and God's Word, I felt such peace and conviction because Jesus was teaching me so much.

I tried a new technique where I splattered paint on the page.  I am not 100% sure I like how the black turned out, but I am learning to have more grace with myself.  It's okay if it does not look perfect. 

Thank you to my wonderful friend Lyndi for the thin blue washi tape!  I have never owned any thin washi tape until she sent me some in the mail.  I love how it looks.  So versatile. 

For Wild I had multiple images in my head for what I wanted to created, so I used two pages in Nehemiah to express everything in my head.  The banner was inspiration I saw on Instagram.  I got the typewriter stamp from By the Well 4 God.  She sent it free with my How He Loves devotional that I bought from her.  I was so excited to use the typewriter.  God writes our stories. 

Shine was the last day of the study. 

I really wanted to use sparkly things for the page in my Bible and travelers notebook.  I found these awesome scrapbooking Project Life cards from Walmart for dirt cheap that I bought.  I gave many of them away in some workshops I've been doing, but I secretly kept and hoarded a couple shiny ones.  :)  On the Bible page I wish I would have used darker letters for "God," but oh well.   

I had a few extra pages at the back of my traveler's notebook.  I used one spread to write out key things I learned, and the last page I added important verses from the study.

Here's my Flipagram through  my whole travelers notebook from Revival Camp.

Link to Youtube: here

I finished Revival Camp just in time because Illustrated Faith came out with a new camp called Brave and Strong.  I am working on preparing my notebook.  Will you join me?

Con mucho amor.

Thankful

Beautiful orange leaves
An amazing job where I get to serve and see Jesus daily
Two parents who love me a whole lot
Sweater, scarves, and boots weather
Spending time with Jesus in the morning
Ability to pay bills and loans
Yummy bread
Chinola mousse
Good smelling candles
Texts from Sissy
Books that make me braver
Curling up with blankets listening to the rain
Fun, gold washi tape
Sweet notes from friends
Checking things off my todo list
Safely driving in the rain
Creativity God has put in my head
Vanilla chai tea lattes
Pumpkins
Watercolors
The ability to communicate with people in other countries
Cozy vests when I am freezing in the office
Funny TV shows (i.e. The Goldbergs)
Alone time
Time with friends
Photos and memories
Tomato soup on a cool day
Cute, fluffy dogs that look like stuffed animals
Busy Sundays full of Jesus

What are you thankful for today?

Con mucho amor.

Amos

What I've been reading:  I decided to read through the minor prophets in the Bible because I had never read through them before.  To be quite honest, when I started I did not think I would find any way to relate it to my life.  Boy was I wrong.  Here's what I created and learned.

Amos 6:  I want to be in situations that are much bigger than my abilities so that I can watch God work.  I don't want to be comfortable or at ease.  I don't want to be complacent.  God will use me so much more when He is pushing me.  What a dangerous prayer to pray. 

Amos 4:  Lifting up Haiti in prayers as the waters rushed over their lands and disaster struck for the millionth time on their country. 

Amos 7:  What is God saying to you? 

Later I added this post it with some more information about the chapter.  It's interesting how God told Amos many things, but how Amos was also in constant communication with the Lord.  God listened to Amos, as well.  

Amos 8:  I was fascinated with the imagery of fruit in this chapter.  I realized how it represented sin in our lives, like the fruit Adam and Eve at in the Garden of Eden.  I was also very excited to get to use my fruit stamps.  The pineapple is my favorite.  I used my watercolor markers with the stamps instead of a normal ink pad.  

Amos 9:  We can't hide from God.  He will always find us.  He is always looking for us.  But are we looking for Him?  

 

Amos 3:  I was trying out a new style with this page.  I wanted something simple.  Are we walking in accordance with the Lord?  Are we walking hand in hand with Him every single day? 

My challenge for you?  Read a book of the Bible you've never read before and see what God will teach you!

Con mucho amor.

Revival Camp - Part II

What I've been painting and learning:  Here's the second chunk of Revival Camp.  My favorite lesson was the ADVENTURE day.  Adventure has been such a life theme lately.  Plus, I am obsessed with the mountains.  I purchased two mountain sets from the Print and Pray shop, Altitude and Adventure.  As you can see, I have almost included them on every single page.

I placed the white stickers on the back, but I didn't love how much they blended into the background.  Then, I outlined them using a thin black pen from Illustrated Faith and BAM it looks so much better!

I prepped this page before I left and then finished it while I was on the airplane heading to the DR.  I have a fun mission trip planned for next summer with the youth group I'm working with.  For nine days in September I went back to Santiago to scope things out and figure out all the details. 

The gray alphabet stamps came from the Dollar Tree!  I have them in green too, which you will see in Revival Camp Part III. 

What wild adventure is God taking you on right now?  It's my prayer that you are inspired from these pages I created.  It's my prayer that you walk with God and seek Him every turn you make in life. 

Con mucho amor. 

Revival Camp - Part I

What I've been learning: I got my first Illustrated Faith devotional in the middle of the summer, but I had been seeing lots of posts on Instagram about their summer workshop - Revival Camp.  I really felt like I was supposed to get it, but it is $50.00, which I thought was rather expensive.  God provided a pet sitting job for me for a week over the summer.  I earned the right amount of money to treat myself to the class.

It has been such a struggle for me to go through this class right now.  The devil keeps trying to discourage me from even opening the documents.  I am working on a passion project right now.  Something I am super excited about, but whenever we want to do something for the Lord, the devil doesn't like it.

I really wanted to have a table of contents at the front of my field note journal to keep things organized.  It started off with just the list, but then I added some colors and washi tape extras.

I needed a tip in for my Bible since I already painted and covered some of the pages in Nehemiah.

Here's a sneak at what I learned the first four weeks.

I also used some of the cut outs included to Bible journal other passages in the Bible, such as Ecclesiastes 5.

How is God reviving your faith right now?  What song is He singing to your heart?  How can you open your eyes to see Him more clearly?  Praying that the devil won't impede all that God is doing in your life right this very second.

Con mucho amor.

I am Strong Part II

What I'm learning and painting: I take a long time with the Illustrated Faith devotionals.  Most people complete them in one month, but soak up each entry.  I spend several days painting in my Bible and in the devotional.  I am okay going at my own pace, though.

Here are some more of my entries from the I am Strong devotional kit.

I started off the devotional trying to only use the colors from the kit, orange, pink, yellow, mustard...  But then I realized it was okay for the pages to each have a different feel.  It made me feel free not having to stay constrained by one set of colors.  I also created some cut outs in Spanish that I used.  The first image has a coral arrow with the phrase "Su plan > mi plan" inside.  That means "His plan > my plan."

I love the phrase I wrote on the tab.  Be a mighty WARRIOR and not a mighty worrier.  

I really love how the STOP pages turned out.  They look similar in my Bible and in the devotional, but slightly different, too.  This entry was very important to me.  I have been battling the devil's lies inside my head a lot lately.  Telling me I am not good enough.  I need to just tell him "STOP."

I have had these little owl stickers sitting in a drawer for several years.  I think of owls when I hear the word wisdom.  I want to include some more owls in different passages from Proverbs. 

How are you strong in the Lord?

Con mucho amor.

Looking for the Extraordinary

What I've been learning:  After living in the Dominican Republic for two years, it has been a challenging adjustment to get back into life in the United States.  The other day I was having a little conversation with the Lord.  I was complaining about how my life in the U.S. is so ordinary.

When I lived in the DR I was constantly traveling, constantly using Spanish.  Even just a trip to the grocery store was an adventure.  Life in the United States just isn't the same.

As I was arguing with the Lord, I felt Him telling me that I need to be looking for the extraordinary in each day.  I am His.  Every day God is showing and teaching me something different.  I don't live a boring life.  I need to keep my eyes open for all He has waiting for me.  Life with Him is always an adventure.

The next morning I got up early to go for a walk.  I kept praying and singing as I made my way around the neighborhood.  All of a sudden, I look up and see the moon and a hot air balloon.  It was breathtaking.

Then, I kept walking and the river was covered in fog dancing across its surface.  God totally wrapped me in His arms that morning, showing me the little but mighty extraordinary moments that He gives me.

My roommate last year in the DR, Christin, was visiting a friend in Seattle.  I told her that Bolt Bus tickets to Portland were really cheap and that she should swing by for a few days.  All of a sudden we were in Oregon together!  Another one of our friends from the DR lives in Portland so the three of us ate Burgerville, talked, and prayed.  God is so good and knows exactly what we need.  I couldn't believe the three of us were together again.  It was an extraordinary few days!

"And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, 'We have seen extraordinary things today.'" Luke 5:26

I found the extraordinary.  What are you looking for today?

Con mucho amor.