Word for the week - Romans 15:13

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

I trust in the Lord and He gives me hope, there is always an opportunity for a turnaround in our situations, a complete change.  What area of your life do you need to trust that the Lord has it in hand.

As you meditate on the scripture and enjoy the image ask and think about the many gifts you have been given, the many challenges you face, and the fruit that will come from the work of your hands. 

Words and images for the week, to bless, encourage and inspire you to be all that you have been called to be. 

What will you do with what you have been given today?

Creating in Faith - Trust

What do you do when someone abuses your trust, how does it make you feel and what actions can you take to prevent it from happening again? Does forgiving mean that you allow them the space to change and back into your life? Do you constantly wonder if and when they will do it again, or do you keep them at arm’s length? How far does your trust go?

When we are young we have limited power to prevent some of the hurtful things that can happen, but as you grow up you begin to get a sense of yourself can exercise your power to decide who to allow into your space. Last year I took Melody Ross’s Soul Restoration workshop and it looks at the restoration of you, comparing your life to a house and the action of clearing out your space - deciding who to let into your home, through the front gate or even who just walks past the gate and says hello!   The post man delivers letters through your letter box he doesn’t come in the back door, put the post on the table, make himself a cup of tea while searching through the cupboards to see if you have those chocolate biscuits he likes....(well mine doesn’t).   We decide and should have control over the atmosphere and energy we surround ourselves in especially in the space that should be our sanctuary – our homes!

 How many times have you been hurt by someone you thought cared for you and you let back into your life only to have them stomp and trample over your feelings. We DO have to forgive and the bible says in Ephesians 4:32 “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”  I feel that the benefits of not having negative energy and abuse in my personal space and surrounding myself with supportive people far outweighs the value of the relationship I could have with someone who really doesn’t care about me.

We have to use discernment, the bible tells us to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” Ephesians 5:19, but you can’t do that if your cussing and carrying on. At the end of the day you can’t have a relationship without trust, and as you go about the coming week, think of times where you knew you should and can make different choices, based on the different levels of trust needed for the situation.  Blessings...

If you would like to see how I made the book mark pockets check out the post Bookmark Pockets

Come join the group - Creating in Faith, show us how you will be incorporating the words and scriptures and reflections in your art this week.  Step out and be a blessing and you will also be blessed!